


Favors and Fervor

by louieistrash



Category: TWICE (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Office, BangTwice, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Sexual Tension, Vhyun, armyonce, but just a little of office life too lol, just glimpses of college life though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:35:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29576913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louieistrash/pseuds/louieistrash
Summary: Dahyun's world was already upside-down and having her college rival become her boss was the perfect cherry on top of her already chaotic world.
Relationships: Kim Dahyun/Kim Taehyung | V
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Brace yourself for heartaches and highly inappropriate content for minors. But this will be your typical plot, please don't expect much huhu

Dahyun tried to muster the brightest smile she could give as she faced her brother in a video call, but Jin saw the fatigue reflected in her eyes. Thus, no matter how hard she tried to convince her brother that she was doing fine, she could not erase the guilt screaming in his countenance.

“I’m sorry, Dahyun,” his voice broke, “I should be the one taking care of you, yet I am a burden now.”

“You’re not a burden,” Dahyun slightly glared at him for blaming himself yet again, “And you should allow me to take care of you because I am also your sister.”

“Still,” Jin averted his gaze, “Everything’s too much for you to handle alone.”

He was right – everything was too difficult for Dahyun to deal with.

She lost her father after she graduated college. He went through so much medication and hospitalization, but still, they couldn’t save him from cancer. Two years after that, her mother and Jin figured into an accident which took her mother’s life and left Jin in a coma. She even had to send Jin to the province so that their aunt could look after him for rehabilitation while she worked like a carabao to pay their numerous debts.

It was only recently that Jin regained his ability to talk, and since then, he never failed to apologize to Dahyun for leaving her in such a situation.

But Dahyun didn’t want him to feel guilty.

It wasn’t his fault that they were born in a poor family.

It wasn’t his fault that their situation worsened, as if life and luck were never on their side.

“I am doing fine,” Dahyun gave a timid smile, trying to convince her brother with the same words. She sighed and added, “Please stop worrying about me and take care of yourself. You should focus on your recovery.”

There was a protest bubbling in Jin’s throat but in order to sush him, Dahyun requested to talk to their aunt. 

Her auntie informed her that Jin’s rehabilitation was making progress. He can already walk slowly. He could hold some objects, but his movements were not yet developed enough for him to do more fine tasks like writing. 

Their conversation ended with Dahyun promising to send money for Jin’s expenses.

But as soon as the call ended, Dahyun’s eyes fell on her planner. The opened page had numerous erasures, reflecting her difficulties in making her salary cover everything she needed to pay – including her family’s previous debts.

She bit her lip hard as she made her own allowance lower.

“Why are you so poor, Kim Dahyun?” she asked herself with a sigh.

Her trance was halted when her phone blinked, a notification appearing from her email.

Her work rarely sends her emails after working hours, but for her to receive one at night, she knew it was urgent and important.

From the header of the mail, she read that the company she was working at will be welcoming a new CEO.

* * *

“Are you nervous?” Eunbi, her closest office friend, asked her as they stayed in a theatre-like conference room where hundreds of the employees were waiting for the announcement.

“Why would I be nervous?” Dahyun asked back, “Whoever is the new CEO, he will be on the 32nd floor while we are stuck on the 7th floor. We’ll have little to no interaction at all.”

“Still, he gets to run this whole company,” Eunbi retorted, “His downfall will be our own.”

Dahyun licked her bottom lip and nodded, agreeing to Eunbi’s statement.

She didn’t know much about the previous CEO. She knew him by his name – Kim Myungsoo. 

She met him only a few times, but the male emitted a cold and authoritative aura. Nevertheless, the stories about him in the company would attest that he was a great leader, and the company’s success was the clear evidence of it.

However, it had been a year since Myungsoo’s death and since then, it was the vice-president who was managing the company’s affairs. Everyone knew that it was only a transitional period and the vice-president was merely a placeholder. The top position in the company had already been reserved, and finally, there will be a new name that will accompany it.

“They said it’s his brother who will take over,” Eunbi further told Dahyun.

“That will make sense though since it’s his family who owns the majority of the shares,” Dahyun turned to her and asked, “Do you know anything else about him?”

“Well,” Eunbi started, “I know his surname starts with Kim.”

Dahyun groaned and rolled her eyes, making the both of them laugh.

Eunbi chuckled before admitting, “I’m just as clueless as the media people sitting in the front row.”

“I wish he’s as capable as his late brother,” Dahyun whispered.

Their conversation was interrupted when the podium was occupied by the managing director. There were not many words said, as if no introductions were needed since everyone knew the reason they were all gathered. However, when the new CEO’s background was mentioned, Dahyun creased her brows.

They were from the same university, had the same course, and graduated in the same year.

She wanted to discount the possibility of knowing the person. After all, she was not that sociable back then. But the announcement of the name sent shivers down her spine.

“Everyone, please welcome our new Chief Executive Officer, Kim Taehyung.”

She was frozen in her seat, trying to digest the news, but Eunbi’s nudge signaled her to join the crowd in standing up and clapping.

A part of her denied it – slightly entertaining the idea that she might have misheard the name or the information about his college degree.

But as the man walked towards the podium, a nightmare unfolded right in front of her.

Taehyung looked like he commanded so much power and Dahyun felt more inferior, knowing that she will now start working for him.

* * *

The sight of Taehyung took Dahyun back to her college memories – to the days that she used to believe that her excellence could save her family from poverty.

While her batchmates were celebrating their youth, she minimized social interactions and camped in the library and buried herself in her textbooks. It was no surprise then that she was only close to Chaeyoung, and it was even because they graduated from the same highschool. 

She worked hard, and it always paid off. She was valedictorian from grade school to high school and her consistency transcended in college. She helped her family by studying under a scholarship program. Her name was the first one on the top student’s list every semester. She was always the one who joined the brainy contests to represent their school. She was even expected to receive the highest honors upon graduation. 

But everything changed when a transferee came in her second year in college.

She remembered faking a calm expression when she saw the list. Her name was on top but there was only a 0.5 difference between her and the one in the second spot. She took note of the name of her new found rival — Kim Taehyung.

Dahyun then became interested in knowing the face behind a name. After all, she had to know her enemy in order to defeat him. 

Fortunately, there was Chaeyoung who helped her identify the man and Dahyun then learned from her that Taehyung’s recent achievement even made him popular. He was well-loved because of his features and his sociable nature. Being a top student was just an addition to the long list of reasons why people admire him.

But for Dahyun, he was a threat that she must eliminate.

Therefore, when she noticed that Taehyung kept occupying the table in front of her in the library, she didn’t think twice in confronting him.

“Are you stalking me?” Dahyun asked with hands on her hips.

Taehyung stared at her before coughing and finally mumbling, “No.”

“Why do you always sit here?” Dahyun demanded, “Are you trying to observe me?”

Taehyung licked his lips, unable to answer.

Dahyun rolled her eyes and said, “Do you think I don’t know you?”

“You know me?” he asked back.

She didn’t want to sound like she was interested in him in any way. The last thing she wanted to do was to pamper the ego of her opponent.

“I take note of the people I compete with,” she uttered while she folded her arms over her chest.

“Oh,” he merely exclaimed.

“You’ve been sitting in this same spot for a week. Stop stalking me,” she warned him, “Stop observing how I study.”

She tried hard to be as intimidating as she could as she said, “Even if you try to copy everything that I do, I will still win over you.”

Dahyun was slightly taken aback when a smirk formed on Taehyung’s lips.

He stared back at her as he replied, “Let’s see who’ll win then.”

* * *

The loud knocking at her door interrupted Dahyun’s trip down memory lane. 

She mentally prepared herself in case it was the landlady or the loan sharks she needed to face. She made careful steps, not making any sound so that the one behind the door would not know if there is a person in the house or not. She tiptoed, looking at the peephole before finally releasing a sigh.

“Chaeyoungie,” she greeted her best friend as she opened her door.

“I brought you food!” Chaeyoung replied as she made her way in the house. 

Chaeyoung welcomed herself and plopped on her sofa even without her invitation.

“I can smell that it’s meat,” Dahyun’s mouth watered as she checked the bag.

“I know you are not eating proper meals recently. You are always broke before your salary day,,” Chaeyoung stated as she watched Dahyun savor the food.

“Wrong,” Dahyun mumbled, “I’m always broke. Period. Often, it’s just 365 days in a year, but when I’m more unlucky, it’s 366 days.”

Chaeyoung sighed before commenting, “When will your finances become better?”

“Not anytime soon,” Dahyun shrugged. She gave her friend a timid smile as she assured Chaeyoung, “I will be fine.”

“I know you will be,” Chaeyoung beamed back at her, “And if it turns out that we’re wrong, then I’ll be here for you.”

“Awwww,” Dahyun cooed as she encircled her arms around Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung whined but eventually gave in to her attempt to show affection.

“You’re not telling me something,” Chaeyoung squinted at her.

“Well, maybe I don’t want to talk about it,” Dahyun replied, “Besides, I know that you already heard it from the news.”

“It’s a small world, really,” Chaeyoung stated, “Didn’t know you’ll cross paths like this.”

“I didn’t imagine this too,” Dahyun sighed, “Life has beaten me up real bad but it decided to add salt to the injuries by rubbing at my face that he’s now better than me in all aspects.”

“You don’t have to compare, Dahyun. You’re doing your best with what you have,” Chaeyoung told her, “We both know that he always had the advantage of being born with a silver spoon. In life, that means he’s always ten thousand steps ahead.”

“Still,” Dahyun licked her bottom lip, “I feel bad that his name used to be below mine in the students’ list but now, we’re just worlds apart.”

“Maybe you can forget about it,” Chaeyoung suggested, “He’s way up there in his office and the company is huge. There’s such a small possibility for you to meet him face to face.”

* * *

It was lunchtime, and usually, she would be in their office pantry, reheating some cheap meals she bought from the convenience store. But it was salary day, and Eunbi wanted to treat her. They were on their way back to their floor when Dahyun was reminded of how unlucky she was.

Dahyun knew that Chaeyoung was right — there were many layers of corporate offices between her and Taehyung. Moreover, there were six elevators in the building, the seventh one reserved for the executives. She had around 480 minutes in the office. There should be less than five percent chance that they would be in the same elevator at the same time.

_“There’s such a small possibility for you to meet him face to face.”_

Chaeyoung should have been right.

Yet life and luck was never on her side as there she was, with Kim Taehyung right in front of her.

Dahyun was frozen in her place as she drank every detail of Taehyung.

His height towered over hers. His body was more built than she last saw him. His facial features were more pronounced, especially the structure of his jaw. His hair was dyed blonde, but the color was closer to brown. With a suit on and his hair swept back, his presence was stunning.

Dahyun and Taehyung merely stared at each other, but she couldn’t read the blank expression on his face.

There was no else in the elevator except Taehyung. Eunbi, who was with Dahyun, had to check if it was one of the ordinary elevators that opened, and she was right. However, Eunbi was also too flabbergasted to be with the CEO that she wasn’t able to notice the tension between the two.

The doors of the elevator were about to close with Eunbi and Dahyun not taking any step forward, but the doors opened again.

Taehyung continued holding it open as he asked, “Are you coming in?” 

His deep voice resonated in Dahyun’s ears. She was suddenly reminded of the richness of its sound.

Dahyun couldn’t find her own voice so it was Eunbi who answered, “W-We will just wait for the next elevator, Sir - “

“Just come in,” Taehyung motioned.

“Yes,” Eunbi replied as Taehyung’s statement felt like a command more than a suggestion for the two of them.

Dahyun was still in a trance so Eunbi had to push her inside. 

But Dahyun tensed further as she felt Taehyung’s presence beside her.

“What floor?” Taehyung asked.

“U-Uhm, seventh, Sir,” Eunbi kept stammering, and she wanted to curse Dahyun for not helping her get through with the conversation.

“Lucky seven,” Taehyung mumbled before pressing the button for the seventh floor.

Dahyun knew she wasn’t claustrophobic — but at that moment, the elevator ride felt suffocating. She stood like a statue as she kept looking in front, avoiding any chance of her gaze meeting his.

It was less than ten seconds from the ground floor to the seventh floor but Dahyun felt like time was being warped.

_Ding!_

She immediately exited the elevator and walked away without looking back, not even bothering to check on Eunbi.

She halted her steps as she heaved a sigh, and that was the only time that she realized that she had held her breath during the entire elevator ride.

“That was nerve-wracking,” Eunbi stated as she finally caught up with Dahyun.

Dahyun masked the intensity of her emotions with a nod and a small smile.

* * *

“He didn’t recognize you?” Chaeyoung asked over the phone.

“I don’t know,” Dahyun answered, “We didn’t acknowledge each other.”

“Well…” Chaeyoung started, “Did you want him to actually say hi to you?”

There was a pause before she denied, “No. I guess I was just surprised, but it’s better if we just avoid each other.”

“That’s very uncharacteristic of Taehyung though,” Chaeyoung noted, “He was always the first one to greet friends.”

“We’re not friends,” Dahyun retorted.

Chaeyoung groaned before agreeing, “Yeah. Your complicated relationship before definitely cannot be labeled as friendship.”

Dahyun couldn’t find a rebuttal as she wasn’t sure too how to label her relationship with Taehyung before. 

“But maybe five years changed him,” Chaeyoung added.

“A lot can definitely happen in five years,” Dahyun replied, recalling all the unfortunate events that turned her life upside-down. She sighed before saying, “But I guess this is better. Now I can really heed your advice and forget about him being my boss.”

“If you rarely meet each other and you don’t interact at all when you meet each other, I guess you’ll really do just fine, Dahyun,” Chaeyoung agreed.

Chaeyoung should have been right — if life wasn’t so committed in making everything worse for Dahyun.

The next morning, the numerous messages popping in her phone made it seem like there was an emergency in the office that she needed to attend to.

“Where have you been?” her supervisor said as soon as she walked in, “Mister Kim has been waiting for you!”

“Who?” Dahyun asked, creasing her brows.

But as she walked further, she found that the emergency was sitting on her swivel chair, in front of her cubicle.

“Hey, Dahyun,” Taehyung greeted her.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be time skips here and then as I will discuss their college life as well. I'm no longer fond of changing the style of text for flashbacks, but I hope the context clues could aid you. I hope it's not that confusing.

Instead of greeting back, Dahyun asked him, “What are you doing here?”

Her statement earned her a hard nudge from her supervisor, Miss Song. The latter awkwardly smiled as she exclaimed, “He could be here anytime of the day and whenever he wants to. He’s the CEO, after all.”

“But not on my seat,” Dahyun retorted.

At this, Miss Song no longer tried to hide the glare that she was giving Dahyun.

Taehyung smirked, seeing the situation before him. He interjected, “I’m here — on your seat — because I wanted to talk to you.”

Miss Song gave out another weird smile as she said, “Sir, if you’d like, the both of you can talk in my office. It’s more comfortable there and I could prepare coffee for you.”

“Anywhere’s fine with me,” Taehyung replied, “As long as it’s fine with Dahyun.”

The lack of formalities in the way that Taehyung was calling her name rang an alarm in Dahyun’s head. She was thinking of every motive that Taehyung could have in showing off that he knew her.

_Is he here to humiliate me in front of everyone?_

_Does he want to make an announcement that I was his college rival before but now, I’m just no one compared to him?_

_Is he going to talk down on me in front of my supervisor so that I wouldn’t be able to answer back?_

Dahyun’s silence made Miss Song speak up, “I’m sure that she wouldn’t mind —” 

“Let’s talk outside,” Dahyun interrupted. 

_No. I’m not going to allow you to use the CEO card to your advantage._

Not giving Taehyung the chance to agree or disagree, Dahyun started walking out of their office. She could feel everyone’s eyes following her, and that alone affirmed her decision.

_I can confront you better if no one’s looking._

She didn’t even look back to see if Taehyung was following her, but thankfully, she could hear his footsteps following hers. She kept walking until the white noise from the office was replaced by the sound of their shoes clashing on the floor of the hallway. 

“Where are you taking me, Dahyun?” Taehyung asked when Dahyun opened one of the elevators. He stepped in and asked, “Do you want to talk in the company’s cafeteria? Or do you have a coffee shop in mind — “

His sentence was cut off when he realized that Dahyun had pressed some combination of the elevator buttons.

“What was that?” he furrowed his brows.

“Emergency stop,” Dahyun answered, “So that no one will use the elevator while we are here.”

“Why don’t you just press the ground floor?” Taehyung questioned.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Dahyun faced him.

Taehyung slightly widened his eyes in surprise but Dahyun spoke once more.

“Just talk here. Now,” she demanded.

Taehyung tried to decipher the expression on Dahyun’s face only to figure out that she was not kidding — she really wanted to have the conversation inside the elevator.

“Okay,” he sighed. He placed his hands in his pockets as he stared at her and said, “Can you be my secretary?”

A crease started forming in Dahyun’s eyebrows.

“What?” she blurted, “Who? Me? When did you think of this? I mean — why?”

He knew that he’d get that reaction from her, yet he tried to lighten the atmosphere as he said, “If you’re going for the 4Ws and H, you forgot the where and how.”

But Dahyun did not buy his humor and instead exhaled loudly.

“Who: You. What: My Secretary. When: Now. Where: in my office. Why — “ Taehyung began explaining but Dahyun cut him off.

“Thank you, Sir. But I’m not interested in your offer,” she said as she opened the elevator again.

“Even if I pay you thrice what you’re earning right now?” Taehyung asked, making Dahyun hesitate in stepping out of the elevator.

She remembered the medications her brother needed, their numerous debts, the numbers in her planner she could no longer tally with ease — yet she remembered too, all the times in college that Taehyung tried to beat her. 

She could deal with the fact that she’s working in the company he managed, but she didn’t want him to be her direct employer. Her pride wouldn’t take it if she would allow him to boss her around.

_No. I’m not going to let you win._

_Not this time._

“I’m not interested in a promotion, Sir,” Dahyun stepped out of the elevator. She faked a smile as she looked back at him, “And you can’t force me to accept it. That’ll be involuntary servitude.”

“Why wouldn’t you be interested?” Taehyung tilted his head as he stayed inside the elevator, “Are you really content with the small cubicle in that office? Did you enjoy working there for the past years?”

Dahyun’s jaw stiffened. 

She hated the way that Taehyung spoke like he already did a background check on her. 

She hated the way that Taehyung said the truth that she was trying hard to accept.

He was alluding to the fact that she has been stuck in the same cubicle with the same position for years. Her salary had increased but no matter how hard she worked and how much she excelled in the work she does, she still hasn’t been promoted. 

Promotions had been elusive because of the lack of the available positions and Dahyun’s refusal to build connections with her supervisors and seniors. Apparently, work was not like school. Performance was not enough. Recognition involves a lot of other factors and being extra kind and sociable to the higher ups was the best shot in getting a promotion.

“I want to get a new position based on merit,” Dahyun finally answered. 

It was the same principle she stuck with for the past years, and she was not letting it go, especially not because of Taehyung.

“I don’t want an out of the blue promotion just because I know the CEO,” she added.

The two kept staring at each other, as they were engulfed in silence, until the doors of the elevator closed, ending the conversation they were in.

* * *

“What’s so good about him, anyway?” Dahyun mumbled.

She was looking at Taehyung who was simply ordering food in the cafeteria but he had the lady behind the counter swooning over him. Dahyun wasn’t even sure if the girls behind him on the line were lined up for food or lined up for him.

“Everything,” Chaeyoung answered as the both of them shared a table.

Dahyun furrowed her brows as she looked at Chaeyoung.

“He’s kind, friendly, polite— basically, a nice person. He’s rich. He has good looks,” Chaeyoung explained, “And he’s smart. He was the second in the list of top students, remember?”

“Just whose side are you on?” Dahyun retorted before squinting at her best friend.

“Yours of course,” Chaeyoung grinned, “That’s why you deserve nothing but the truth about your rival.”

“And the truth is that he’s basically perfect?” Dahyun scoffed, making Chaeyoung chuckle in reply.

Dahyun looked at him again, but she quickly averted her gaze when her eyes met Taehyung’s. She awkwardly coughed before pretending to be busy eating. However, when she glanced at him, he was still staring at her. As their eyes met again, Taehyung gave her a smirk.

Dahyun groaned as she turned her body away.

“Great. Now, he would think I’m interested in him,” she whispered.

“Yeah. You’re definitely interested in him,” Chaeyoung nodded.

“I’m not interested in him,” Dahyun insisted, “I’m just paying attention to him because I’m interested in nothing but keeping my top spot.”

Chaeyoung chortled, “Why are you getting so worked up?”

“Why would I not be?” Dahyun argued, “He’s been in every competition I tried to join. I feel like he’s purposely challenging me.”

“All the competitions you tried to join are brainy. You both are brainy. Don’t read too much to it,” Chaeyoung exclaimed, “Besides, if you think about him too much, he’ll consume the brain cells you could use for studying.”

“Right,” Dahyun nodded, “Maybe that’s his technique so he’s intentionally pissing me off. He wants to distract me so that I would lose.”

Chaeyoung shook her head, as her attempt of pacifying her friend’s mind wouldn’t work.

Thus, she attempted to divert the conversation again as she asked Dahyun, “You were the one who’s chosen as representative for that business model competition, right?” 

At this, Dahyun nodded with a giggle escaping her lips. Chaeyoung beamed as she had successfully brought out a grin in Dahyun’s lips. Other people would think that excelling was natural for Dahyun, but Chaeyoung knew the hard work that Dahyun had to put in order to achieve everything. Because of this, Chaeyoung would never fail to appreciate and laud Dahyun for every success the latter would get.

“I’m so excited for this Chaeng. If we could win nationals, we could compete abroad,” Dahyun exclaimed, “I can get an abroad trip for free!”

“I’m sure you will,” Chaeyoung replied, “You’re great on your own, Dahyun, and if your partner’s good, then you’ll have greater chances of winning.”

“That’s right,” Dahyun agreed with a beam, “I hope we can work well.”

Excitement filled Dahyuna as the day proceeded. She was going to meet Professor Nam, the mentor that had always been in charge of the representatives of the college for the yearly business model competition. He was in his late 40s, but he was known for his intellect along with his great skill in teaching. It was no wonder that he was one of Dahyun’s favorite professors and to think that he would be her mentor for the competition filled her heart with glee.

The only thing that she had to worry about was her partner.

As she walked to Professor Nam’s office, she kept praying that the person would be as competitive as she was. She was hoping that it would be someone with a great mind and someone who would be easy to work with. 

_It’s probably going to be one of the top students._

She sighed.

_Anyone’s fine. Just not that person._

However, as soon as she opened the door of the faculty office, she saw the subject of her thoughts. She tried to deny it — Kim Taehyung might have a different reason for being in the same place as her at the same time. They were coursemates, after all. 

Maybe Kim Taehyung had a different reason for talking to Professor Nam too. 

_Please. Not him._

When both Taehyung and Professor Nam finally noticed her presence, she tried to muster a smile as she politely greeted the both of them.

However, her smile turned out to be ephemeral as Professor Nam spoke.

“Great. The representatives of our college this year are here,” he beamed.

Dahyun’s gaze met Taehyung’s as the professor added, “You’ll be working with each other for this competition.”

* * *

Dahyun’s mind was in a haze the day after Taehyung offered to be his secretary. She was starting to regret defying him — she didn’t have the means to get a lawyer in case she will be forced to take the position. She couldn’t afford to get fired as well. There was in no way she would be able to survive the period of job-hunting because she didn’t have any savings. 

But to her surprise, the day went by like any other work day. 

There were a few gossips she could hear about her, but nobody knew the reason why Taehyung wanted to talk to her. She was expecting that he would spread the news and count on her peers and supervisor on pressuring her to take the job. 

However, besides the curious glances thrown at her, nothing from what Dahyun imagined came to life.

“Well, did you actually want to be pressured?” Chaeyoung asked as they talked over the phone while Dahyun was on her way home.

“Of course not,” Dahyun immediately denied, “Am just surprised. That’s all. I thought Taehyung would use his power or something.”

“I don’t understand why you’re waiting for him to use his power or something,” Chayeoung replied, “Why don’t you just accept it? You badly need money, Dahyun.”

She chewed on her lip before answering, “I don’t want to make my life worse by working for him. He’d constantly remind me of everything I failed to be.”

“Dahyun,” Chaeyoung whispered tenderly, “Pride wouldn’t make your life better, either.”

She exhaled loudly before asking, “Whose side are you on, really?”

“Yours of course,” Chaeyoung answered, and Dahyun could bet that the former was grinning. Chaeyoung added, “As your best friend, I have the duty to give you a dose of truth.”

“I hate you,” Dahyun rolled her eyes.

“Love you too, Da,” Chaeyoung chuckled.

But the two had to end the call as Dahyun arrived at her bus stop. 

For the whole day, her mind had been occupied with Taehyung’s offer. No matter how much she weighed it, the rational choice would be to give in. However a big part of her was screaming a resounding no — the part that refused to acknowledge that Taehyung, in the end, was better than her. 

However, that night that she came home became a huge factor in her decision-making.

“What are you doing?” she shouted as she saw numerous men taking the furniture from her house.

“Oh. You’re here.”

Dahyun abhorred the sound of that voice and its owner. Mister Kang was the head of the loan sharks that had abused the poverty of her family. 

“Can you stop glaring at me?” Mister Kang scoffed, “We’re just enforcing the contract.”

“I’ve never missed payment for you!” Dahyun argued, her voice rising.

“Yeah, but you know the contract says that you have to pay fifty percent at the beginning of this year. We’ve extended so many deadlines but you’re nowhere near that fifty percent, Miss Kim,” Mister Kang smirked, “You should be thanking us that we’re just taking away the furniture for now. Next month, we are taking this whole house too.”

A lump was beginning to accumulate in her throat. Most of her salary had been allocated to debt payments, but no matter how hard she worked, nothing had been enough. She knew that the loan contract was excessive and the interests were usurious. It was as if it was drafted in order to make sure that they will fail in paying.

But poverty didn’t give them much of a choice. Only rich people with good credit reputation are allowed to take out huge loans in banks. For small people like them, they are cornered by life to resort to loan sharks.

She had read it in books before, but Dahyun was now experiencing how society is trapping poor people into a cycle of debt.

“No. Not that please,” Dahyun tried to beg as she saw the karaoke set that her father used to love. She tried to stop one of the men from taking the said equipment to the truck as she begged, “Please. Just give me a month more, I’ll do my best. Just don’t take this now — “

However, her words were cut when she was hardly shoved to the ground. 

“We had enough in giving you extensions, Miss Kim. It’s not as if you’ll magically come up with some money by next month,” Mister Kang exclaimed.

She swallowed the lump on her throat as she stood up on her own. But then, she noticed how the push was so hard, it ripped the sleeve of her blouse.

“On the other hand, I know a way you could earn more,” Mister Kang spoke with his voice laced with so much malice.

When Dahyun looked at him, she saw how he was eyeing the part of her skin which was shown due to the damage that her blouse had received.

She felt disgusted by the way that he had a smirk on his face as he said, “You wouldn’t need to do so much. You could just lie down and your work will be done in no time.”

Dahyun took a step back as he reached towards her.

“I’m sure many will take interest in you,” he darkly whispered as he tried to touch Dahyun.

However, Mister Kang’s hand was shoved away as Taehyung appeared, protectively standing in front of Dahyun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am sorry this feels like a slice-of-life for now hahaha, will slowly introduce mature themes asjdahsdj.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Taehyung bellowed.

“Suggesting a solution,” Mister Kang grinned widely.

Taehyung scoffed before uttering, “Don’t you know you can get imprisoned for your suggestion?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, “Actually, whatever illegal business you are engaged in can be shut down.”

“And who’ll do that to us?” Mister Kang took a step forward, “You?”

“Try me,” Taehyung gritted his teeth, not backing down.

As the tension between the two continued rising, Dahyun assessed the situation. All of Mister Kang’s men had already put down the things they were moving. Instead, they were standing as if they were all ready to launch an attack. She knew that Taehyung could put up a good fight, but there was in no way he would win with the amount of people that Mister Kang had brought with him. 

We’re outnumbered by them.

“Let’s go,” Dahyun took Taehyung’s arm.

Taehyung wouldn’t budge so Dahyun had to pull him with all her strength as she said, “Taehyung, let’s go.”

He was about to argue with her until he saw the fear in her eyes so he let her take him away from the scene.

As soon as they were far enough, Taehyung tried to ask her, “Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m not okay,” Dahyun blurted.

“We can report them, Dahyun,” he suggested.

His suggestion was borne out of concern, but there was already anger and frustration that had filled Dahyun’s mind. Too clouded by her rage, his statement seemed like an accusation of ineptitude for her. 

“And you think I haven’t thought of that already?” she narrowed his eyes at him. She let out a scoff before her emotions started bursting.

“I can’t win a legal battle against them because I can’t even afford to start that battle in the first place!” she exasperatedly said, “And for those men to have that business for years? They surely have connections that I do not have!”

“Then I’ll do it!” Taehyung exclaimed.

Dahyun forced a laugh and said, “And what? You’re gonna expect me to thank you for the rest of my life?”

Taehyung furrowed his brows at Dahyun’s statement. 

“Why are you even here?” Dahyun muttered, “I’m so sure that this is not just a product of a casual stroll at night.”

“I figured you didn’t want to talk in the workplace but I wanted to talk to you about the job I was offering — “

“So you followed me all the way home?” she interjected, “Is that how eager you are in forcing that secretary role on me?”

“I’m not forcing you to do anything, Dahyun,” Taehyung retorted.

“Then stop with whatever you’re trying to do because I don’t want to work for you!” Dahyun screamed, “My life’s miserable enough, Taehyung! I know that already. You don’t have to rub it on my face by making me work for you!”

Tears were already starting to accumulate in Dahyun’s eyes and she hated the way she was breaking down in front of Taehyung. This was the primary reason she didn’t want to face him after all those years. She didn’t want to look miserable, not in front of anyone, especially not in front of the person she never wanted to lose to.

But trying to be strong for a long period of time was taking a toll on her. 

All her pent up frustrations that had long been bottled suddenly started erupting.

“I’m already frustrated enough with what I couldn’t be! I’m already suffering from all the expectations on me that I cannot fulfill!” Dahyun exclaimed.

Her voice was breaking as she continued, “I’m already disappointed everyday with how I turned out to be so you don’t have to remind me of how I was so far from the Dahyun in college who used to excel in everything she did!”

She felt a tear roll down on her cheek as she finished her statement so she turned her back on him as she tried to wipe away her tears.

_Fuck this._

_Now, there’s no hiding how miserable I am._

She curled her fists and closed her eyes as she tried her best to stop the tears from falling.

_He’s going to laugh at me._

_Or he’s going to pity me._

_And that’s even worse._

_I don’t need pity from anyone — especially not from Kim Taehyung._

She wanted to run and hide from everything that’s causing her misery, from everything and everyone that makes her feel more miserable than she already was.

Dahyun took a step forward, in an attempt to walk away, but then, Taehyung’s voice halted her from moving any further.

“I’m sorry, Dahyun,” he whispered, “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. It was never my intention to do so.”

Surprised by his words, she faced him in order to see his countenance. She wanted to see if he was being sarcastic but she was engulfed in silence when she saw no hint of mockery on his face.

“I just wanted you to be my secretary. That’s all,” Taehyung tried to give a smile, “I needed someone who’s competent. I needed someone I could trust.”

He sighed as he continued, “It’s hard being the CEO, Dahyun. It’s not just the work. It’s how everybody’s eyes are on me, as if waiting for me to make a single mistake.”

He met her gaze as he intently said, “And when I saw you, I felt relieved. I thought that if I could have you by my side, it’s either I wouldn’t make a mistake or I wouldn’t be scared to make them anymore.”

Dahyun said nothing but merely let her gaze fall on the ground. She wasn’t expecting any of Taehyung’s statements so her usual defense mechanisms couldn’t come into play.

“This is not some order or demand,” Taehyung clarified, “I’m actually asking for your help.”

She stared at him as he took off the coat he was wearing. 

“But if this job is going to be a burden to you — if it would make you feel miserable, then I will not keep bothering you anymore,” Taehyung said.

He then proceeded to wear his coat over Dahyun, to hide the ripped part of her blouse.

Dahyun was frozen on her spot, not knowing what to do or what to say.

Taehyung took her silence as a cue to leave. He beamed at her as he said, “I’ll just see you in the company then.”

He lightly ruffled her hair as he added, “But please say hi to me next time.”

* * *

As she opened the door, the scent of coffee and books welcomed her. A slight smile tugged at her lips. The cafe had a very warm ambiance. It wasn’t that big but it was spacious enough to have ten to twenty tables along with two big shelves of books. Each wall was adorned with more books and some quotes from famous novels. The smile on her lips grew bigger as she grazed her fingers on the books at the shelf. She saw some of her favorite books and along with some unfamiliar ones. 

To say that she loved the place was an understatement. It almost felt like heaven for her.

Taehyung picked such a good meet-up place.

Dahyun started contemplating on making the cafe her new study place. Unlike the library, she would be able to eat and drink here too. She would need not sneak a chocopie in her mouth every now and then. 

She glanced at their menu and the smile on her lips immediately disappeared.

_Too expensive._

_How can a drink cost almost all of my allowance for the day?_

She sighed as she dejectedly took a seat. 

She looked at her wrist watch; she was still fifteen minutes earlier than the time that she and Taehyung agreed to meet. A pout formed on her lips as she prayed that Taehyung would come before she could be kicked out for not ordering.

However, as soon as the male crossed her mind, the bells of the cafe door rang and Dahyun watched as he entered the cafe. 

Taehyung greeted the staff behind the counter with a warm smile and a polite bow. Everything that he wore was black except for the red plaid long sleeves that he wore over his shirt. He was dressed in the same way that a boy around their age would do, yet he made people turn a second look at him.

She recalled all the compliments that Chaeyoung had said about Taehyung.

And she sighed as she conceded with the fact that Kim Taehyung was actually attractive.

His height was tall, his body was lean, his features were handsome, and his aura emitted such a strong presence, as if he was commanding everyone’s attention. 

And indeed, he did, as Dahyun noticed how people continued secretly stealing glances at him.

_Fine. He’s handsome._

As Taehyung continued approaching her, she started taking note of how his face was perfectly sculpted, as if he was a character from an anime that came to life.

She only realized that she had been staring at him when his gaze met hers.

Dahyun coughed, trying to compose herself again.

_Focus, Dahyun. Don’t stare at anyone._

_Especially not Kim Taehyung._

As he noticed her presence, Taehyung’s eyes widened and he fastened his pace towards her.

“Were you waiting for long?” he asked as he placed his bag at the opposite of the table she chose.

“Not really,” she replied.

“Okay. That’s good,” he beamed and Dahyun hated the way she also noticed that a smile on Taehyung’s lips made him extra attractive. He pointed at the counter and asked her, “Do you want some drink?”

“No. It’s fine,” she shook her head, “We wouldn’t take long, anyway.”

“What?” he questioned, his brows creasing. He settled on the seat opposite hers as he said, “But Professor Nam instructed us to get to know each other so that we could work together better.”

“Yeah. That’s right,” Dahyun nodded before taking some papers in her bag, “So I made this to make everything simple.”

The furrow in Taehyung’s brows deepened as he took the papers from her. He inspected it and realized that Dahyun had customized a form. It almost felt like a hybrid between a biodata and a slam book.

“No way,” he shook his head as he returned the papers to her.

It was Dahyun’s turn to crease her brows. She expected some difficulties dealing with Taehyung, but she didn’t expect that it would be this soon with him straight up rejecting her idea.

“Why not?” Dahyun scowled. She started arguing, “This is time-efficient, simple and it accomplishes the goal of getting to know each other. This is undeniably the best solution.”

When Taehyung gave her a stare that screamed disbelief, Dahyun glared back at him.

“Why don’t we just hangout?” Taehyung asked.

“Hangout?” Dahyun repeated the word with distaste.

_Great. I did this to spend less time with him but he’s suggesting to hang out._

“Yes. Hangout,” Taehyung nodded, “People hang out to get to know each other. They don’t give each other some forms.”

“Technically, this is what is done when you’re applying for a job or when you need to get some papers from the government,” Dahyun argued.

“But you’re not applying for a job and I’m not some government agency,” Taehyung retorted.

He sighed as he added, “Professor Nam asked us to get to know each other but the goal is not just to have information. He wants us to have some sort of level of comfortability with each other so that we could build our teamwork.”

Dahyun’s countenance slowly relaxed as Taehyung’s argument started making sense to her.

“So what do we do?” she questioned.

Taehyung grinned, and Dahyun hated the way that it seemed like he felt victorious.

_Did he just take pride in winning an argument over me?_

“For starters, let me buy you a drink,” Taehyung stood up. 

She bit her lip as she started overthinking his offer.

_Will I look like a loser if I can’t buy myself a drink?_

_But it’s not like I can afford anything here._

“I’m fine,” she said again, “I don’t drink coffee.”

“Really? Me too,” Taehyung beamed, before pointing at the menu on the counter, “But they have non-coffee beverages as well.”

Dahyun chewed on her lower lip as she stared at the menu. 

_Maybe it’s not bad to give in now._

_He’s the one who offered, anyway._

She mumbled, “Chocolate Frappe.”

“Right,” Taehyung nodded, “Of course, you’d pick chocolate.”

She turned to him and blurted, “What?”

“Huh?” Taehyung asked back before saying, “It’s just common for people to pick chocolate. That’s all.”

“Oh,” Dahyun exclaimed, “Okay.”

“Okay. I’ll be back,” Taehyung said before telling her, “I will wait for our drinks on the counter. You can pick some books to browse through. It’s free for the customers here. Just return them to their proper place afterwards.”

“Are you sure?” Dahyun’s eyes lit up in glee.

“Of course. I asked them the other day,” Taehyung replied but his answer made Dahyun stare at him in question. He added, “I mean, I’m always here… and the other day, I wanted to read a book so I asked…. that’s why I’m sure now.”

“That’s great,” Dahyun nodded before she let a small smile play on her lips, “This is a really good place.”

The grin on Taehyung’s lips widened. He suggested, “We can visit here again. I’m sure you’re going to love the museum I would want us to visit too.”

“We’re going to visit a museum?” Dahyun exclaimed, flabbergasted.

“Yeah,” Taehyung said, “You agreed to hang out, remember?”

“Is this all necessary?” she asked, “Shouldn’t we be using the time to start working on our project?”

“Of course, it is necessary,” Taehyung explained, “This is our breathing exercise.”

“Breathing exercise?” she repeated, perplexed.

“Life is suffocating in itself,” Taehyung explained, “So we should allow ourselves to breathe sometimes.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inserting lots of curse words in this chapter is my attempt of trying to transition this story into a more mature theme. Haha. I hope it's not that off. 

The day after Dahyun’s encounter with Taehyung, the male stayed true to his promise.

_“I will not keep bothering you anymore.”_

She didn’t hear anything from him again and even the gossip about the way he waited for her in their department had already died down. As days passed by without any trace of him, Dahyun was starting to forget the fact that Taehyung offered her to be his secretary. It seemed like a distant memory, or even just a fleeting dream.

_“But please say hi to me next time.”_

The opportunity to say hi never came. She never bumped to him again, as if they were not working in the same company. She hasn’t even seen his shadow. She thought that perhaps after her outburst, Taehyung realized that it was better for them to not encounter each other at all.

Life started to go normal again — normal being her getting buried with the same work, juggling with some freelance, and keeping her budget tight so that she could accommodate her expenses and that of her brother’s.

Dahyun sighed as her gaze landed on the coat he had lent her, still sitting at the top of her desk.

It had been a week since she had last met him, and Dahyun hated the way that there was an unpleasant feeling sitting at the pit of her stomach ever since.

She licked her lower lip before rummaging through the things at her shelf. She opened a file case which contained all the certificates she had gained in college, along with some photos. Chaeyoung had always taken her photos during competitions. Most of them showed her receiving the awards, but some also showed her competitively engaging.

She let out a scoff as she spotted Taehyung in many of them.

They often had photos together in awarding ceremonies, as they always snatched the first and the second places but in these photos, Dahyun always looked stiff, as if standing next to him was torture. In contrast, Taehyung had a smile on his lips, even if she had beaten him in every single competition they joined together.

However, when she turned the page, she found a photo of the two of them, but this time, there was a bright smile on her lips and Taehyung looked clearly happier with the way his eyes turned into crescent slits. She struck a peace pose near her eyes, while Taehyung stood beside her, putting a peace sign on top of her head as well.

She was then starting to remember the memories she had with him, and a sweet feeling of nostalgia started surging in her system. But her trance was quickly halted by the ringing of her phone.

“You feel bad about it,” Chaeyoung started as soon as she picked up the call, pertaining to Dahyun’s message regarding the way she felt uneasy after not seeing Taehyung anymore. She added, “You’re actually starting to regret it.”

“Regret what?” Dahyun asked.

“Regret not working as his secretary. You know deep inside, Dahyun, that Taehyung could save you from your mountain of debt,” Chaeyoung told her.

“I told you, I don’t want to work for him,” she still insisted.

“But you two worked together before,” Chaeyoung replied, “Maybe it’s not bad to relive some college teamwork?”

Dahyun then looked at the photo of her and Taehyung smiling happily in front of the camera.

She shook her head and argued, “Chaeng, that’s more than five years ago.”

“But you really need help with your finances,” Chaeyoung retorted, “And sometimes, you have to accept the fact that help can come in the form of your college rival.”

When she was answered by Dahyun’s silence, Chaeyoung added, “Dahyun, Taehyung is not such a bad person.”

Dahyun took the photo of them in her hands, staring hard at it. Unknowingly, a smile formed on her lips.

“Yeah,” she finally agreed on Chaeyoung’s statement, “He’s not a bad person at all.”

* * *

Taehyung started slowly easing into her life. He started seating next to her in the classes they had in common, randomly greeting her in the hallways, and even occupying the same table as hers in the library. At first, she tried to complain, but Taehyung would always come up with the whole “you agreed to hang out” excuse coupled with the “Professor Nam wants to build our teamwork” argument.

Their time together proved convenient in facilitating their exchange of ideas but oftentimes though, their company would be surrounded with silence as Dahyun would bury herself in the books she was studying. Taehyung learned to respect her quietude but there are times he’d force her to take breaks or eat snacks somewhere else with him and whenever she was out of her reading zone, he would engage her in some random conversations, like how Iced Americano tastes like poison.

Without knowing it, Dahyun also slowly got used to Taehyung’s presence in her days. There are even times that she would be the one to remind him of their to-do’s, not just for the competition, but also for their classes. She would even bring extra choco pies because Taehyung would always steal one or two from her.

But there were moments when Dahyun still kept her walls high.

“Hey!” she complained when Taehyung took the book sitting in front of her.

“Dahyun, you have been sitting and studying for hours,” he told her, “You never went to the bathroom. You didn’t have lunch, and you didn’t even drink any water.”

“How did you even know I did not get up for lunch? You came here after lunch,” she stated.

“The student librarian told me that you’ve been here since eight in the morning. It’s past five already and you haven’t moved an inch from your seat,” he replied.

_Right. I forgot he’s friends with the student librarian._

“Am fine,” Dahyun lied, taking another book to open in front of her, “I just need to study.”

But to her annoyance, Taehyung closed the second book and argued, “Why are you so worked up on studying? It’s not even exam season yet.”

“I’m sorry if I’m not like you who can cram the whole semester for a few days and still get good grades,” she scowled, “Sorry if I need to work hard everyday just to beat the likes of you.”

“That’s not what I mean — “ Taehyung furrowed his brows.

“Stop sabotaging what I’m doing to win — “

“I’m not trying to sabotage you,” Taehyung’s voice was starting to rise, making the student librarian ring the bell, but Taehyung just sent a quick glare to his friend.

On the other hand, Dahyun felt embarrassed for attracting attention.

She groaned before opening a new book, and keeping her head down to avoid meeting gaze with Taehyung.

“Dahyun,” he called her again, but with her blood boiling, she failed to notice the way he said it so softly.

“Can you please just go away?” she whispered underneath her breath, “I don’t want you here.”

She heard his loud sigh followed by the screeching of the chair in front of her.

Yet an unpleasant emotion swelled within her when Taehyung walked away.

Dahyun released a breath before pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

_I shouldn’t have let out my anger on him._

_She leaned her back on the chair and tilted her head upwards, mindlessly watching the ceiling fan spin. She was starting to regret lashing out on him._

_He’s right, anyway. My state is worrying right now._

_But how else could I distract myself from my own thoughts?_

How else can I escape the fact that Dad had signed a loan contract with our house as a collateral?

But her trance was immediately halted when her vision was blocked by Taehyung’s face.

“Come on,” he said as he pulled her out of her chair.

Too surprised at his return, Dahyun couldn’t resist. He kept holding her wrist, dragging her out of the library.

Upon collecting her thoughts, she blurted, “What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to go away?”

“ _I am going away._ I don’t want to be in the library too,” Taehyung answered. He turned to her with a smirk and added, “But I am going away with _you.”_

Dahyun found herself still following his steps, and instead of protesting, she asked him, “To where?”

“Somewhere you can breathe,” Taehyung beamed at her.

Soon, Dahyun found herself climbing up the spiral staircase of the tallest tower in their university. It was a tower with nothing else but the historical bells which rang every hour. She was already huffing when they reached the top but with the view at the top of the tower too magnificent, Dahyun immediately forgot her fatigue.

“It’s time to shout,” Taehyung spoke.

“Shout what?”

“Shout your worries into the void,” he answered.

“Someone might hear us,” she argued.

“No one will hear us at this height,” Taehyung told her, “And besides, the film center is right beside us. There’s a musical ongoing right now. They will drown away whatever noise will reach the ground.”

“But if we get caught — “

“No one will catch us. Look,” Taehyung assured her before shouting, “This university is so shitty!”

Dahyun panicked and immediately hushed him, but as she looked down, she realized that Taehyung was right. No one could hear them.

“Go on,” Taehyung urged, “Try.”

Dahyun felt hesitant, but then she turned to him and said, “You have to promise that you’ll not tell anyone about this.”

Taehyung grinned, as Dahyun’s statement confirmed that she was giving in. He put a hand over his chest and declared, “I swear in my life that this will be our secret.”

There was a small smile that played on Dahyun’s lips. She held the bars as excitement started running through her veins. She licked her bottom lip before taking a deep breath, getting ready for her scream.

“I hate this life!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

She looked down and saw that indeed, no one heard her. Then she turned to Taehyung, and the male could see the way that relief was starting to paint her countenance.

“Put some curse, Dahyun,” Taehyung suggested, “It’ll feel good.”

She cleared her throat before yelling again, “I hate this fucking life!”

“That’s it!” Taehyung chuckled.

Dahyun took a step higher and leaned forward as she screamed, “What the hell did I do to deserve this?!”

“She deserves nothing of this shit!” Taehyung seconded.

Dahyun grinned and yelled, “I will have my fucking revenge once I graduate!”

“Watch out for her bastards!” he added.

“I’ll have a super amazing life to get back to this shitty world!” she promised.

“Super fucking amazing life!” he corrected.

She took a deep breath before screaming with all her might, “I’ll be freaking great!”

But as Dahyun’s voice broke at the last syllable, both her and Taehyung ended up in an unending fit of laughter. They were laughing their hearts out until they were running out of breath.

As she calmed down, Dahyun took the time to appreciate the view from the top. The sunset was nearing so the sky was painted with hues of orange, pink and purple. With the height they were at, she could see the overview of the whole university.

Everything looked smaller than it is.

A small smile curved her lips as Dahyun embraced the feeling of being miniscule — of her worries being just tiny dusts compared to the magnificence of the whole universe.

She turned to Taehyung and she realized then, that he had been looking at her.

“Feel better?” he asked.

Dahyun slowly nodded.

“I can be your breathing space, Dahyun,” he beamed at her, lightly ruffling her hair.

At that point, Dahyun also embraced the truth that Chaeyoung spoke — Taehyung was indeed a nice person.

She had just painted him in a bad light, because it was easier to compete against him in that way.

* * *

Dahyun could swear that she had gone through the process of rethinking her decision so many times, yet she still could not erase the anxiety that was engulfing her system. She had eaten her pride, but somehow, she felt like it was trying to climb back up to her throat, insisting that she turn her heels around before it’s too late.

Her heart was drumming against her chest as she clutched at Taehyung's coat. Her nervousness doubled as she stepped out of the elevator. It was her first time to be on the 32nd floor.

There was a receiving desk and there stood a uniformed man, which Dahyun presumed to be another guard exclusively for that floor. However, Dahyun also caught the attention of the woman in her early thirties, talking to the security personnel. The woman turned to her, and for a while, Dahyun was mesmerized by her beauty.

“H-Hi,” Dahyun’s greeting came out as a stutter, “I-I’m here to return something to Mister Kim.”

“You’re Miss Kim Dahyun, right?” the woman asked her.

“Yes,” Dahyun nodded, but her gaze showed her confusion.

“Sorry. You must have been surprised that I know your name,” the woman beamed, “It’s just Mister Kim has been waiting for you.”

“He’s expecting me to come?” Dahyun questioned.

“No. Not at all,” she shook her head, “He’s hoping you’d come.”

“Oh,” Dahyun exclaimed, not knowing how to respond to that statement.

“My name is Im Yoona,” she finally introduced herself. Then, she beamed at Dahyun before gesturing, “Come on. I’ll show your way to his office.”

Dahyun’s eyes wandered as she walked along the hallway. There was a large receiving area, decorated with plants, paintings and luxurious couches. There were at least three conference rooms, varying in sizes, all enclosed in glass walls. She passed by a large office as well, with multiple desks, and she could tell that the people behind the computers worked directly under Taehyung. Then, Dahyun stood behind a large door. Yoona pushed the large door and behind it was a room. Adjacent to the empty desk inside the room was another door, but this time, it was locked with a passcode.

Yoona dialled a number on the phone before stating, “I have a pleasant surprise for you.”

It didn’t even take five second before the door unlocked.

Yoona smirked before telling Dahyun, “That means you can come in.”

“So I will just enter?” Dahyun asked.

She nodded and said, “Go on. Mister Kim’s waiting for you.”

“Okay,” Dahyun replied and released a breath before pushing the door open.

She stepped inside and was overwhelmed by the size of his office as well as the way that the large windows perfectly showed the view. At the height she was in, the city beneath her looked smaller than it is.

But then she flinched when the door automatically locked behind her.

“Hey. You’re here,” Taehyung’s voice caught her attention and then her eyes focused on his desk which was even placed on an elevated platform.

Dahyun did not have to take much steps towards him because it was Taehyung who closed the distance between them as he took long strides towards her.

“I… I wanted to return this,” Dahyun said as she handed him his coat.

“You could have kept it,” Taehyung replied.

“Why would I? It’s too big for me,” Dahyun retorted.

Taehyung chortled, and Dahyun’s heart lightened at the sound of his laughter.

“U-Uhm,” Dahyun stammered and started fidgeting. Her gaze was on the floor as she started, “I’m sorry for that night.”

“There’s no need to apologize for that,” Taehyung shook his head.

“But I really am,” Dahyun exclaimed as she took the courage to look at his eyes, “I’m sorry, Taehyung.”

Taehyung’s countenance softened as he gave her a small smile, “It’s really fine, Dahyun. You didn’t have to go all the way here for that.”

“I actually have something else to say,” Dahyun averted her gaze again, “Does your offer still stand?”

Taehyung stared at her in reply so Dahyun had to rephrase her question.

“Can I still be your secretary?”

Taehyung closed his eyes and released a long sigh.

Dahyun was getting ready for a rejection. She felt like an apology was bubbling in his throat. Besides, there was already a woman who accommodated her on her way to his office.

_She must already be his secretary._

_He’s about to say I’m too late._

As Taehyung opened his eyes again, Dahyun saw so many emotions in his gaze — but the prominent one was relief.

“Yes. Yes please,” he answered before pulling her in and enveloping her in his arms.

Dahyun froze, surprised by the way Taehyung held her tight and the way he laid his head on her shoulder.

Hesitantly, she hugged him in return.

“Is this part of my job?” she asked.

“Hmmm,” Taehyung nodded and held her even tighter. He whispered, “Please be my breathing space. I’m so suffocated now, Dahyun.”

He released another sigh as he added in a whisper, “It’s tiring to pretend that I am holding up everything well.”

Slowly, she started to pat his back as she said, “Then, go on. Take time to breathe, Taehyung. I am here now.”


	5. Chapter 5

Taehyung informed her that the space before his office was the secretary’s place. Everything who would come to Taehyung, would need to come through her. As Dahyun took the time to let her eyes wander around, she noted that besides the furniture, decorative frames, books, plants, and some files, the place was actually empty.

At first, she thought it was Yoona’s office, but after a more careful observation, there was nothing that would indicate that someone was using the place.

It almost felt like it was reserved for her.

She took a seat on the swivel chair, and noted how it was more comfortable than the one she had on the seventh floor. Her desk was definitely more spacious — even large enough to accommodate Taehyung who sat at its edge.

“You can change anything you want with this place. It’s your office from now on,” Taehyung said.

“I’m fine with the way it looks now,” she replied, “I’ll probably just bring some of my stuff over.”

Taehyung nodded before asking, “Can you start tomorrow?”

Everything felt too sudden for her. She was hopeful that she would be able to take the job, but she didn’t expect for Taehyung to say yes there and then, and even let her start the day after.

“Uhm….” she started.

“You’re not going to like… start ahead and assume everything. You’ll be trained for a month or so,” Taehyung rushed his explanation, as if sensing the hesitation in Dahyun.

“Okay,” she finally nodded and instantly, a bright smile formed on Taehyung’s lips.

“Great,” he grinned.

Dahyun then creased her brows. She realized that she agreed to work for him, and to even start abruptly, but she hasn’t asked the most important question yet.

“What exactly do I need to do as your secretary?”

He tilted his head, the corner of his lips curved into a slight smile, and he gazed at her as if he was observing every fiber of Dahyun’s countenance.

“Everything I ask you to do,” he said.

“I did not sign up for some form of slavery,” Dahyun scowled.

A slight chuckle escaped his lips, clearly amused at the way she fumed at him.

“I will not enslave you,” he clarified, “I’ll pay you for anything work-related you do for me. All else are favors you are free to do or not.”

Dahyun gulped, “What kind of favors?”

But Taehyung noticed how her throat constricted and how her body stiffened.

“Well,” Taehyung started, a smirk playing on his lips, “What kind of favors do you have in mind?”

At that moment, Dahyun became more aware of Taehyung — the small distance between the two of them, the way his height towered over hers, his dominating aura strengthened by the way he looked so gorgeous with a suit and tie on, his perfectly swept back blonde locks, his more pronounced facial features — every detail of him was beginning to etch in her mind.

Unwillingly, her eyes began tracing all the details of his face, until they reached his lips.

She watched as his teeth sank on his bottom lip, the gesture making the air around her feel thicker.

Dahyun then looked at his eyes, and it was then that she realized that he was staring at her as if he was to devour her at any second.

Snapping out of her trance, she pushed her desk, making her and her chair swivel backwards. She slightly coughed to break the tension between the two of them.

“Well,” she started, trying to bring them back to their conversation, “I have to know what’s ‘work-related’ so that I’d know when the favors start.”

Taehyung then stood up from the desk. A smile breaks into his lips again, as if the moment before that had been completely forgotten.

“Don’t worry,” he told her, “Miss Yoona will be the one to guide you.”

* * *

Taehyung explained to Dahyun that Im Yoona was his administrative assistant. She used to work as secretary for his late brother, but decided to resign from the company when he died. She came back to help Taehyung, but the both of them agreed that it was only for a limited period of time — only until Taehyung would find a secretary that Yoona could train.

“This job would require no uniform. But you can’t look cheap,” Yoona blurted as she started picking clothes for the girl.

The day when Taehyung introduced her as the new secretary, Yoona dragged her to the nearby department store, insisting that Dahyun would need new clothes.

Yoona then held two dresses near Dahyun’s body, alternatingly placing them on top of Dahyun’s body.

“You really have a good figure,” Yoona noted.

“Thanks,” Dahyun awkwardly smiled.

“Let’s take both,” Yoona beamed before placing them inside their shopping cart.

Dahyun tried to secretly steal a glance at the price tag of the dress and her jaw instantly dropped.

But Yoona noticed her countenance and she chuckled, “Don’t worry. Taehyung will pay for them.”

“I’m not so sure if he mentioned anything with regard to these privileges — “ Dahyun tried to argue.

“That’s fine. I’ll just kill him if he doesn’t reimburse me,” Yoona shushed her before going to the next rack of clothes.

Dahyun creased her brows before whispering, “You seem close with him.”

“How else would I agree on helping him adjust as a CEO?” Yoona answered.

“But… but why didn’t you become his secretary then?” Dahyun asked.

“I’ve quit that job, Dahyun. I’ve been a secretary to the company’s CEO for long. It took away so many years of my life,” Yoona sighed.

Yoona then glanced at her before shaking her head and clarifying, “Don’t get me wrong. Myungsoo’s a good person. He’s probably the best boss I could ask for.”

_Myungsoo. The former CEO._

_Taehyung’s brother._

“But the work of a secretary is almost as demanding as the work of the CEO,” Yoona pressed her lips in a thin line, “I was lucky that my boyfriend turned husband is understanding with the workload that I have. But I was not getting any younger.”

“I want to have kids, Dahyun,” Yoona beamed at her, “And I wouldn’t be able to focus on children — might not even be able to successfully conceive or have a healthy pregnancy — if I would continue being a secretary.”

“But how about your expenses?” Dahyun questioned, “Does your husband earn well?”

“He has an average salary, but that would be enough for our family to get by,” Yoona replied, “Besides, I have saved enough money for me to retire this early.”

At this statement, Dahyun’s eyes slightly widened.

Yoona chortled before affirming, “Yes, Dahyun, it’s demanding but it’s definitely worth it. It’s a really high-paying job.”

The older then started picking blazers for her, slightly nodding at how every color suits Dahyun.

“But I still am not sure what this job demands me to do,” Dahyun confessed, “I mean, there’s an enumeration of tasks in the contract but there’s still this catch-all clause at the end.”

“Which sounds like a scam, right?” Yoona snorted, “High falutin, legalistic words, which actually just tells you that you can be asked to do anything.”

“Yeah,” Dahyun nodded slowly, “So how does that work?”

Yoona faced her, “You’ll be his support system. Provide him with everything that he needs — a presentation, a pen, coffee, food — ”

“A massage?” Dahyun suddenly blurts, almost regretting right after.

Yoona tilted her head in confusion, “I never gave Myungsoo a massage, but I do give him relief patches for pain.”

“Sorry,” Dahyun mumbled.

“That’s fine, I know it seems all blurry,” Yoona exclaimed, “But I’m certain that you and Taehyung are both old enough and smart enough to know what tasks are appropriate for a secretary’s work or not. You two just need to communicate very well.”

“Myungsoo was a very capable man. I mean, Taehyung is too, but he’s struggling right now. He might need more help,” Yoona noted.

Dahyun nodded understandingly.

“But if he asks you for anything excessive, like kissing his feet just to make him feel great, tell me,” Yoona uttered, “I’ll skin him alive.”

At this, Dahyun laughed and commented, “I think I can handle that Miss Yoona. I am very capable of skinning him alive too.”

Yoona then beamed back at her before saying, “Come on. Let’s get your shoes.”

As they walked towards the footwear section, Yoona started explaining the dynamics of the staff in Taehyung’s office. They were all carry-overs from Myungsoo’s administrative employees. The previous vice-president who temporarily took over the CEO title for a year wasn’t brave enough to replace any of them, since they were all capable and professional.

However, Yoona’s narration came with a warning.

“Most of them had been in this job for long. They had already grown attached to their works, and would not exchange it for anything else since it pays well. So their loyalty is with the company, not with Taehyung,” Yoona grimaced, “If Taehyung makes a mistake, they’d gladly leave him rotting alone.”

Yoona then held Dahyun’s gaze as she added, “You’re different from them, Dahyun. Your loyalty should be with Taehyung. His reputation is under your protection. His well-being is your top priority.”

“I understand,” Dahyun replied with a nod. She licker her lip before asking Yoona, “But how will I be able to work with the administrative staff? Would they not look down on me? I mean… I don’t have the same work or educational background as them — “

“Don’t worry about them. They’ll respect Taehyung’s choice,” Yoona assured her. But despite her words, Yoona noticed that there was still doubt lingering in Dahyun.

“Are you worried that you’re not qualified for this job?” Yoona asked.

Dahyun bit her lip, “I feel like I just got this because I got a connection with him.”

“Dahyun, part of my job to help Taehyung is to find him a capable secretary. You got screened by me as well,” Yoona informed her, “I have checked your profile. I know that you’re smart, you’re a fast learner, and you also perform well with your job at the company. You’re just not rich enough to afford post-grad studies or lucky enough to be promoted.”

“But you’re very capable Dahyun,” Yoona assuringly beamed at her, “And I’m confident that you’ll be a great secretary to Taehyung.”

Dahyun continued looking at Yoona’s orbs, and she found sincerity in them.

“And you have that one quality that is very hard to find in others,” Yoona exclaimed as she gently squeezed her hand, “You have Taehyung’s trust.”

“Thank you,” Dahyun smiled back.

“Do you still have questions or can we start trying these shoes?” Yoona teasingly asked.

“Just one more,” Dahyun grinned.

“Hm?” Yoona urged her.

“Are there any rules I have to follow? Taboos or anything?”

“I have listed everything specific that you need to remember. I’ll send it to your email, but I also have it printed,” Yoona informed, “Don’t worry. We’ll have time for the turn-over and transitions.”

“Thank you,” Dahyun smiled.

“But there are two unwritten rules that I also need you to follow,” Yoona’s face become serious.

She held her pointer as she said, “First, I don’t care what relationship you have or had with Taehyung, but once you both are in the office, you need to address him with honorifics. Mister Kim. Sir Taehyung. Chief Kim. Mister Taehyung. Whatever it is, your choice.”

Yoona then held another finger up, “Second, don’t get involved with him.”

“Don’t… get… involved?” Dahyun creased her brows.

“Friendship should be the most that you can give him, Dahyun,” Yoona said, “Don’t cross any lines beyond that. You don’t want to make your job more complicated.”

* * *

For the next few days, Dahyun had to learn so many things. She needed to review some records, read and arrange some files, memorize some names, and introduce herself to a lot of people. Dahyun could only thank search engines and dictionaries for existing to guide her for some terms and concepts she couldn’t grasp well. Her previous experience in the company surely helped her adjust, but there were so many things that a CEO should handle — and his secretary should also know.

Yet, Yoona reminded her not to be too overwhelmed. She was reminded that she applied to be just the secretary, not the company’s next CEO. Yoona insisted that she didn’t have to study everything Taehyung does. Taehyung was still the CEO, he was the one making decisions. Dahyun needs to be informed, but not as much as Taehyung has to be.

Afterall, she probably couldn’t cram everything that Taehyung learned abroad in business school.

Yet, Dahyun liked learning, so at night, she’d still be browsing through videos and books.

She realized that being stuck with the same job had made her tasks monotonous. With the secretary’s role, she was embracing a new challenge, and it made her feel giddy — excited, even.

Before she knew it, the week had quickly ended.

As soon as the clock struck five in the afternoon that Friday, Yoona came rushing to her.

“I’m going now. It’s finally the weekends,” Yoona grinned.

Dahyun furrowed her brows. For the past few days, it was still Yoona who assumed the role of Taehyung’s secretary. Dahyun was just going to the office to learn what she needed to learn. It was still Yoona who was in Taehyung’s beck and call.

“But what about Sir Taehyung?” Dahyun asked.

“Oh,” Yoona exclaimed, “Don’t worry. He no longer has any meetings or anything under his sched. He’s probably just reading some documents.”

“Wouldn’t you wait for him?”

For that week too, it was Dahyun who would leave after working hours, and Yoona would stay until Taehyung would leave, so it was confusing for Dahyun to see Yoona so excited to go home.

“No. That’s the secretary’s job,” Yoona winked and she chuckled when Dahyun widened her eyes. Yoona then said, “I think you’ve learned enough Dahyun, I’ll start turning over the tasks now and the first one on that list is to wait for Taehyung to leave.”

Dahyun could only nod her head.

But seeing how the girl gave in easily, Yoona felt a little guilty.

“Sorry. I promised my husband it’ll be a date night today,” she finally explained, “I really have to leave early.”

“No. No. It’s fine. You’re right. It’s my job,” Dahyun replied.

“Thank you, Dahyun,” Yoona beamed, “Oh. Before I forget, I got these for you.”

Yoona then walked away only to come back with shoe boxes and more shopping bags for clothes.

“But we’ve already bought many before — “ she tried to protest.

“I don’t want you to repeat the same clothes, Dahyun,” Yoona said, “I know it’s okay for you, but believe me, there will be some people who would just take note of it.”

She sighed, “As soon as you take that place beside the CEO, you’ll be under scrutiny too.”

Dahyun bit her lip before nodding again, “I understand.”

Yoona then bid farewell, wishing that Dahyun would have a great weekend ahead. Dahyun wished her the same. As soon as she was alone in her office, Dahyun took note to get more sleep that weekend, because her tasks would start getting heavier by the next week.

She stared at the bags that Yoona gave and figured that she would need to take a cab back home instead of the bus.

But her reverie ended soon when Taehyung's door opened, revealing the male.

“You’re here,” Taehyung exclaimed.

“I was told by Miss Yoona to wait for you to leave before I go,” Dahyun replied.

“Because she left already?” Taehyung guessed with brows raised.

Dahyun nodded in reply and Taehyung chortled at Yoona's antics.

But then Dahyun quickly added, “It’s fine. It’s my job to stay until you leave. I should always be available for you.”

Taehyung beamed as if pleased with Dahyun’s words.

“Very well, let’s go home now,” he said.

She shook her head, “I’ll go after you go. I still need to book Grab because I have bags to take home.”

“No. I’ll take you home starting from today,” Taehyung said.

“What?” she exclaimed.

“What what? This is more convenient for you,” he argued, “If we go home at the same time, then I might as well take you home.”

Dahyun hesitated before asking, “Do you do this for Miss Yoona too?”

“No, because she has a husband who fetches her,” Taehyung answered, “Do you have a husband?”

Dahyun shook her head.

“How about a boyfriend?”

She looked at him, trying to read his intent in the expression he wore.

But she couldn’t decipher him.

So she phrased her answer in a more responsive manner to their topic, “I don’t have anyone to fetch me.”

The corner of his lips lifted a little in an almost unnoticeable manner, as he realized how Dahyun swiftly dodged his question.

So he pressed on, “But do you have a boyfriend?”

“How is that relevant?” Dahyun creased her brows.

He shrugged, “I don’t want anyone to get jealous.”

She shook her head, “No one would get jealous.”

“So you don’t have a boyfriend?” he continued.

She sighed before saying, “I’m booking a Grab.”

“I’m just kidding,” Taehyung chuckled, “Come on. I’ll take you home from now on.”


	6. Chapter 6

As Dahyun expected, Taehyung owned a luxurious car. She couldn’t help but think that a scratch on it might even cost her a month’s groceries.

Taehyung helped her put the bags in his trunk before opening the door of the front seat.

“I can sit at the back,” she told him.

Taehyung shook his head, “I don’t think you can.”

She furrowed her brows, yet she still took the invitation to sit in front. As she put her seatbelt on, she took a glance behind. Her jaw dropped at the mess — there were some file cases, folders, bags and neckties, but she was sure that there might be more to the pile of rubbish sitting at the back of Taehyung’s car.

Taehyung then opened the door of the other side before adding the coat he was wearing to that pile. He exclaimed, “See? I don’t think you can fit here.”

He took the driver’s seat and Dahyun asked him, “Do you just ignore that mess everyday?”

“Four days a week to be exact,” Taehyung replied, “I clean up on the weekends and it’s Monday when the mess begins so I ignore it Tuesdays to Fridays.”

Dahyun shook her head at his nonchalant attitude before asking, “How can you even drive?”

“They’re all at the back!” Taehyung retorted before removing his tie.

Her gaze followed the tie that was also thrown at the back and then she uttered, “I bet you’ve been judged a lot of times by people who have been in your car.”

“But I don’t invite people in my car,” Taehyung answered as he started the engine. He glanced at her shortly before adding, “Just you.”

Dahyun fell in silence. She pursed her lips before looking away.

_Right. Probably because I’m the only one around him who doesn’t have a car._

_Or at least a husband who could fetch me._

But her attention was called back by the sound of the Maps installed in his car. She noticed that Taehyung had inputted her home address so she corrected him, and told him her destination.

“Oh,” he exclaimed, “Are you sleeping somewhere else tonight?”

“No,” Dahyun shook her head, “I moved.”

“What about your old house?” Taehyung asked, brows slightly furrowing.

“I let the loan sharks foreclose it,” she said, “Contract says that they will no longer pursue any action as long as they get the house.”

“But you’ll be able to pay them soon,” he said.

“I only have one month,” she confessed, “They were right. It’s not like I can magically come up with that big amount of money. I can’t even process a loan within that time.”

“I can let you borrow money. How about a company loan?” he offered.

“No. No. It’s fine. There’s no need to trouble yourself,” she shook your head, “I doubt they’ll stop after I pay. They might just come up with fraudulent interest or something. It’s better this way. I’ve cut off all my ties with them.”

“But your house,” Taehyung insisted, “That’s where you lived for long.”

A sad smile played on her lips as she thought of all her memories with her family in that house. She whispered, “That’s right.”

She averted her gaze to the window again, watching the streets unfold in her eyes as Taehyung drove. She licked her lip, as she realized that she still needed to get used to taking a different route — as if she was still in the process of embracing the reality that she would no longer be homed by the abode that had witnessed almost her whole life.

As silence reigned in the car, Taehyung momentarily let his eyes wander off the road, taking a glance at Dahyun. She seemed to be in her own world as she stared outside the window. He started to regret the way he might have made her lament her decision. He was already thinking of apologizing, but then he saw a smile play in her lips.

“But that’s life, isn’t it?” she stated, “You have to let go of some things so that you could move forward.”

She licked her lip, and found herself confessing, “Honestly, I would be lying if I say that it’s easy — a different job, a different place to stay in — everything seems to be changing at once.”

“Everything’s scarily new,” she said, “But isn’t this how beginnings feel like? It gives you fear, but it also gives you hope.”

Taehyung’s lips curved into a small smile as he teased, “So being my secretary gives you hope?”

She squinted at him before retorting, “I’d rather say that being your secretary is the one that gives me fear.”

The car was then filled with Taehyung’s deep chuckles and Dahyun’s soft ones.

When their laughter died down, Taehyung spoke, “Still, your old house was a gem. Perhaps the only house with a pink roof.”

Dahyun chortled, “Stands out like a sore thumb.”

“That’s exactly how I figured out where you live,” he told her.

“Really?” she turned her whole body to him, “I thought you stalked me that night or like checked my address in the records or something.”

“In hindsight, maybe I should have done that,” Taehyung said, earning him an eye roll from Dahyun. He snorted before saying, “But no. I just remembered what you told me in college.”

“I remembered your story, of how your house has a pink roof because you and your brother insisted on it,” Taehyung continued, “And how your bus stop is just walking distance from it.”

This time, Dahyun beamed as well, remembering how she and Seokjin ganged up on their father to paint their roof pink, and her dad couldn’t resist both of their charms.

“So I went to that bus stop where you always get off back then. Roamed around looking for a house with a pink roof,” Taehyung’s lips curved into a small smile, “And it’s not that hard to find.”

“Stands out like a sore thumb,” he repeated her words, and even imitated her voice.

To his delight, his antic earned a chuckle from Dahyun.

“Hey my new apartment isn't that bad,” Dahyun told him, comfortably adjusting in her seat, “Well, I can’t paint the roof pink since the whole building’s not mine. But it’s a pretty good place.”

She narrated how she came up with the realization that the payment she was giving to the loan sharks could already be used to rent her own place. It took her awhile to find a suitable place. She had to make time after work to check each place which she found reasonable online, and then she started telling him every problem she encountered with all the apartments she had been to.

“Fortunately, I found this one where I’m staying now. It’s smaller than our house before, but that makes it more manageable. Spacious enough but not that expensive,” Dahyun continued, “The neighborhood feels safe, and it’s not that far from work.”

Their conversation was momentarily halted when Taehyung’s Maps prompted that they were near their destination.

“Well, I see your point,” Taehyung nodded, amused, “We’re almost there.”

But then, it dawned on Dahyun how she had been talking during the whole ride. Truly, her place was near, almost a fifteen minute bus ride, and with a car, the travel time was expectedly lessened. However, she was stunned at the fact that she had been talking too much, she didn’t even realize that she was already inside her neighborhood.

_I got carried away._

She then thought of how she used to push away the man beside her, only for her to find comfort again in his presence.

_“I can be your breathing space, Dahyun.”_

She shifted in her seat, sitting again in an upright position.

Fortunately, almost at the same time that the Maps announced that they reached their destination, Dahyun saw a familiar figure.

She rolled her windows and called, “Chaeyoung!”

The girl first creased her brows upon hearing her name being called by a person who was riding a luxurious car. But as she squinted, she realized that it was Dahyun. She fastened her pace, walking towards the car.

“Chaeng! Thank goodness you’re here!” Dahyun blurted as she got out, “I need some help with the bags.”

“I have bags too,” Chaeyoung replied while raising the grocery bags in her hands, “I bought some snacks and drinks so that we could have a movie marathon. It’s Friday night!”

“Hello Chaeyoung!” Taehyung greeted, getting out of the car as well.

“Hey, Taehyung!” Chaeyoung beamed, “Long time no see!”

“You too,” Taehyung nodded as he opened the trunk.

“Wait,” Chaeyoung paused, before turning to Dahyun, “If Taehyung’s here, he can help.”

“I think I can handle this,” Dahyun replied before she started to get the bags from the trunk.

However, before she could even finish, the remaining bags were grabbed by Taehyung.

“Yep. I can help,” he said as he closed the trunk with his other hand.

Dahyun looked at him before she reached again for the bags in his hand.

“Both of your hands are already full,” Taehyung insisted, moving the shopping bags away from her reach.

“Dahyun, let’s just go. The drinks are heavy. My fingers are about to fall off,” Chaeyoung complained.

“Fine. Come on,” Dahyun gave in and sighed.

But as she turned her back, Chaeyoung flashed a victorious smile at Taehyung. The male shook his head, keeping his chuckle to himself at Chaeyoung’s tricks.

“Let me have that,” Taehyung volunteered, taking the bag of drinks from Chaeyoung’s hands.

“Thank you,” Chaeyoung grinned.

“Do you live with her here?”

“No. Just accompanying her for sometime as she adjusts. It’s her first time living somewhere else.”

“I see,” he nodded before asking, “How have you been?”

“Oh. I freelance. Graphic design. Upwork. It pays enough and makes me save some,” Chaeyoung replied with a shrug, “You? Must be hard being a CEO, huh?”

“Hmmm,” Taehyung nodded before adding, “At least I have a secretary now.”

Chaeyoung then teasingly said, “I hope she doesn’t give you much of a headache.”

“I hope so too,” Taehyung replied with an equally playful tone.

“I heard that,” Dahyun turned as she glared at them.

Chaeyoung and Taehyung then looked at each other before snorting.

Dahyun had to put down the bags in front of the door to fish out her keys from her bags.

As she did so, Chaeyoung turned to Taehyung again and asked, “Are you single?”

Taehyung raised his brows in reply.

“No. No. I’m seeing someone,” Chaeyoung clarified, “Just… asking for a friend.”

Dahyun found her key, but she took her time putting it in the keyhole.

Taehyung let out a small smile before replying, “Not really interested in dating anyone at the moment.”

“Oh,” Chaeyoung nodded. She then looked at Dahyun before exclaiming, “Did you hear that too, _friend_?”

Dahyun then abruptly opened the door. She widened her eyes at Chaeyoung, “Let’s go inside now, _friend._ ”

Chaeyoung chuckled at how Dahyun seemed to be in panic. The latter quickly got the bags from Taehyung and spoke without even meeting the male’s eyes.

“Thank you. Please be careful on your way home,” Dahyun told him before hurriedly going inside her unit.

Chaeyoung scrunched her nose at Dahyun’s actions. Then, she turned to the male and waved her hand, “Bye Taehyung!”

As Chaeyoung closed the door, the male walked away with a smile on his lips.

However, on the other side of the door was a madly blushing Dahyun.

“What was that?” Dahyun uttered.

“What?” Chaeyoung asked back, “Weren’t you interested if he’s single for not?”

“I wasn’t!” she answered.

“Liar. You were intently listening!” Chaeyoung retorted.

“Still, I don’t want him to think that I am in any way interested in him!” Dahyun argued.

Chaeyoung then stared hard at her and exclaimed, “You’re lying if you’re not going to admit that he’s smoking hot now.”

Dahyun took the time to answer back but found no words to say. Instead, she just chewed on her lip.

Chaeyoung then grinned and crossed her arms over her chest as she whispered, “I knew it.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dahyun shook her head, “I can’t get involved with him.”

“Definitely best to stay professional,” Chaeyoung replied, “But still, with a gorgeous man beside you all the time, good luck with that.”

* * *

“He’s a gorgeous man who’s beside you all the time!”

Dahyun groaned as Chaeyoung kept interrogating her on the real score between her and Taehyung. She had insisted that they were just partners for the competition, but that seemed to have annoyed her friend more.

“Stop putting him in a pedestal!” Dahyun uttered, “Taehyung’s as human as all of us. He probably sleeps with his mouth open too!”

“Yeah, but he’s the only one who could beautifully sleep with his mouth open,” Chaeyoung retorted.

Dahyun stared at the girl before asking, “Do you like him?”

“No! I’m a very loyal person,” Chaeyoung replied, “But that doesn’t mean that I will not appreciate the beauty around me.”

Dahyun shook her head and focused on her book again.

“Come on, Dahyun! Can you seriously not see how attractive Taehyung is?” Chaeyoung asked, “The whole campus can see it!”

“Since when did you become a speaker for the rest of the student body?” Dahyun dropped her pen.

“I’m not making it up,” Chaeyoung shook her head, “He’s the most confessed person in _Campus Secrets_.”

“What secrets?” she furrowed her brows.

“You’re unbelievable,” Chaeyoung sighed, before reaching for Dahyun’s phone, “It’s a page which posts submitted complaints or confessions while keeping people anonymous.”

When Dahyun got her phone back, Chaeyoung had already loaded _Campus Secrets_ for her. She checked it and saw that Chaeyouhng was not lying. The name Kim Taehyung would appear every now and then. She doesn’t even need to scroll so far to come across another confession.

Dahyun’s book was then neglected as the both of them started browsing the page. But Dahyun would never admit to Chaeyoung how she continued reading even if Chaeyoung had already left her house.

She would never admit that she read every single confession for Taehyung.

“You look sleepy,” Taehyung noted as he spotted her in the library the next day.

Dahyun looked at the male, and suddenly a confession rang in her head.

_“Your height perfectly towers over mine, exuding a sort of sanctuary.”_

_“His mere presence makes me fall for him over and over again.”_

She shook her head as she replied, “I was… reading… last night.”

“Not surprising,” Taehyung smirked before taking a seat in front of her.

_“When the corner of your lips turn into a slight smirk, I feel my body engulfed with a certain warmth — and an aching want.’_

Dahyun gulped before shaking her head again. She tried to focus her attention on her book. But the words in the book merely pass over eyes, her mind still clouded with all the confessions she read.

Unconsciously, she found herself staring at Taehyung’s hand which was twirling a pen.

_“I wonder how it would feel to hold your big hand? How wonderful would it be when your long fingers are intertwined with mine?”_

Then her gaze traced the part of Taehyung’s arm that was exposed by his roll up sleeves.

_“This might be weird, but I also find the veins on your arm attractive. They look perfect on your lean muscles.”_

Her eyes travelled to his neck.

_“Your neck is so long, Taehyung. So much space for me to mark.”_

And then to his hair.

_“Why is your hair so fluffy Kim Taehyung? Makes me want to ruffle them all the time.”_

Dahyun gulped as her gaze finally fell on Taehyung’s face.

_“He’s beautiful in all angles; his face could pass off as a Greek God.”_

_“Unpopular opinion: I bet Taehyung’s cheeks are so soft to touch.”_

_“I can only dream of kissing his pink lips.”_

_“His eyes are the color of almonds. What can I do to be the subject of his loving gaze?“_

She licked her lower lip as she continued staring at him, recalling more confessions.

_“Taehyung is also one of the kindest and warmest people alive. I heard he adopted an abandoned dog when he was young, and even took lessons on how to properly take care of the puppy.”_

_“He’s just so polite to everyone. I always see him greeting the staff.”_

_“He’s extremely rich but he’s not drunk on societal status.”_

_“He always jokes around, making people comfortable. The block was drawn to him even if he was a transferee.”_

_“Even the teachers fall for his jokes and outgoing attitude.”_

_“When Taehyung smiles, his mouth is shaped in a heart.”_

Unknowingly, Dahyun’s own lips curved into a beam.

“Dahyun?”

“His voice is so deep. I can never get tired of him saying my name — “

“Dahyun?”

The girl suddenly flinched upon noticing that Taehyung was already looking back at her.

“Huh?” she mumbled.

“Is there something on my face?” he asked.

“Yes!” Dahyun blurted, panicking.

“What is it?” Taehyung asked, already wiping parts of her face, thinking there was some dirt on him, “Where?”

“M-Moles,” Dahyun stuttered, and cursed herself for giving an odd answer. Yet, she tried to stand by her response as she added, “I-I was counting the moles on your face.”

“Oh,” Taehyung exclaimed, easily buying her excuse. He beamed at her, “So how many did you find?”

“J-Just the one on your nose.... a-and the one on your cheek,” Dahyun replied and coughed slightly, trying to hide her constant stammering.

Taehyung fixed his seating position before putting his arms over the desk and leaning over, “There’s more.”

“Really?” Dahyun asked.

“Hmmm,” Taehyung nodded before leaning more towards her, “Come on. Find two more.”

Dahyun leaned forward too, letting her gaze trace every inch of his face, until it stopped on his lips.

“There’s one here,” she whispered, her finger lightly touching Taehyung’s bottom lip.

“Hmmm,” Taehyung hummed, “One more.”

Genuinely curious, Dahyun moved nearer, trying to see Taehyung’s face closer.

She continued looking, until her gaze fell on his eyes.

Dahyun spotted the remaining mole in his face, a small one that sits at the bottom of his eye, almost in the middle of his lower lid.

However, she lost all her words as she realized that she had moved too close, their faces were only inches apart. Taehyung was staring back at her, and she found herself lost in his gaze.

Suddenly, her throat felt dry, and it seemed like air was getting knocked off from her lungs. But there was a weird yet pleasant feeling in her stomach. It was as if there were butterflies inside her, fluttering.

The library has always been silent, but at that moment, she couldn’t hear anything else, not the soft murmurs, not the footsteps, not the screeching of the chair, and not even the rustling of the pages.

She could only hear the erratic beating of her own heart.

“Taehyung? Dahyun?”

The familiar voice broke her reverie, and in an instant, the two of them had their backs pressed on their seats, creating space between them.

“Professor Nam,” Taehyung greeted, quickly beaming.

“Good to see you both in the library!” Professor Nam exclaimed.

It was Taehyung who kept the conversation going, “Of course. We need to prepare for the Regionals, Professor.”

Dahyun could only smile and nod, still speechless about everything. She gulped, the unsettling feeling still remaining on her chest.

_It’s the fault of those confessions._

_I must have internalized them involuntarily._


	7. Chapter 7

True to her words, Yoona started giving more tasks to Dahyun. The week after, Dahyun had already started handling Taehyung’s schedule. She accompanied him in meetings, managed communications, and provided everything that he needed.

“Strawberry tea?” Taehyung asked as Dahyun placed a cup before him.

“You don’t drink coffee, but it looks like you need caffeine,” Dahyun replied, “And I remembered you like strawberries.”

Taehyung commented, “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“I always put a lot of thought into my job,” she replied.

“Glad you’re my secretary then,” Taehyung beamed before taking a sip.

The warmth of the tea and the fruity yet sweet taste relaxed him.

“I… I also came with a proposition,” Dahyun exclaimed.

Taehyung raised his brows, urging her to continue.

She cleared her throat before saying, “I think that I should fetch you.”

“Fetch me?” Taehyung creased his forehead, “You don’t have a car.”

“Yes, but I figured that I can go to your condo then we can go to the office together,” she suggested.

“Do you just want me to drive you in the morning too?” he teased.

“I’ll drive,” Dahyun clarified, “I have a driver’s license.”

“Having a license doesn’t mean you drive well.”

“I’m sure I can deliver you in one piece.”

“Oh, you should,” Taehyung replied with a playful grin, “It’s going to be hard to work when my lower body is still at home.”

“I’m serious, Sir,” Dahyun replied, failing to give back his smile. She sighed before stating, “It’ll be better if I can make sure that you’ll wake up on time, and I can get your things ready beforehand so that you can prepare faster.”

Taehyung pressed his back on his seat before sighing. The mocking countenance on his face was gone in an instant. Instead, he showed a sullen expression as he asked, “It’s because I’m late today, isn’t it?”

Dahyun gulped and fixed her gaze on the floor. She didn’t want to tell him how she heard some people talking about his tardiness on that day. She didn’t want to tell him how Yoona had apologized numerous times to those people, trying to defend Taehyung by coming up with various explanations.

She didn’t want to tell him how two minutes of being late has been blown out of proportion.

_“He’s the CEO. He should serve as a role model.”_

_“I’ve never seen his brother late. Can’t he be more like him?”_

_“Does he think the CEO title would excuse him for everything?”_

Dahyun wanted to tell all of them that Taehyung had left the office late the day before so that he could finish some work. She wanted to tell them how Taehyung would also bring home his tasks often.

_Being two minutes late in the office didn’t mean he was not working enough._

But she kept her mouth shut, for she was new in the office, and anything she would say would look like she was just making excuses for Taehyung.

“I’m sorry Dahyun,” Taehyung whispered, “I-I wouldn’t do it again. I’m just….”

But he wasn’t able to finish his sentence as his gaze blankly fell down on the table. It was as if the emotions were bursting inside him yet he chose to keep everything bottled in.

Dahyun, on the other hand, had many words in mind.

_Exhausted._

_Sleep-deprived._

_Overwhelmed._

“You’re restless, Sir,” Dahyun looked at him softly, “And that’s why I want to offer more assistance.”

That two minutes of tardiness was enough to confirm Yoona’s statements.

_“If Taehyung makes a mistake, they’d gladly leave him rotting alone.”_

_“Taehyung might need more help. He’s struggling.”_

Taehyung swept back his blonde locks and closed his eyes before slowly nodding. He sighed before repeating, “I’m sorry.”

Dahyun continued staring at him and she took note of the slouch of his shoulders, the bags under his eyes, the furrow in his brows and the tiredness in his orbs. Taehyung carried himself well outside. He always projected power and authority in front of others, but when they are alone, Taehyung would let his walls down and show how anxious and exhausted he truly is.

Beneath his facade, the high expectations and high regard had been taking a toll on him.

“You don’t need to apologize for needing help,” Dahyun whispered, “You’re still human, afterall.”

A sad smile then grazed his lips before replying, “Thanks for the reminder, Dahyun.”

But to her relief, Taehyung quickly recovered his teasing smirk as he added, “Lately, I’ve been getting comments that my looks can pass off as a god’s though.”

Dahyun’s lips broke into a grin too before rolling her eyes at Taehyung’s statement. She replied, “I’m going back to my desk.”

“Hey. I forgot to give you this earlier,” Taehyung exclaimed, halting her from walking away. He handed her a notebook before saying, “You left this in the car yesterday.”

“Oh. I’ve been looking for this. I thought I left it at home this morning,” Dahyun answered as she took the notebook. But then she creased her brows before asking, “Did you look inside?”

“Absolutely not,” Taehyung stated but when he received a glare from Dahyun in reply, he chuckled and added, “I swear! I just opened the back page. Didn’t browse anything else.”

“Fine,” Dahyun mumbled before turning to exit his office.

However, as she was walking back to her desk, she opened her notebook, and found a familiar handwriting at the last page.

_“Let’s go, Kim Dahyun!”_

Her lips curved into a smile. She momentarily halted her steps and glanced back at the male. As if he felt her eyes on him, Taehyung met her gaze before giving her a wide boxy grin.

With all the responsibilities and glitter that surround him, Taehyung seemed to have changed. But after spending some time with, Dahyun realized that inside him, there was still that boy in college — the one who embodied sunshine and the one who would give her the brightest smile without a second thought.

* * *

After the “fetching” arrangement, Dahyun had grown accustomed to starting her work in the morning by going to Taehyung’s condo. Taehyung’s unit was very spacious, with one of the rooms merely a walk-in closet. She’d come every morning and the sound of his doorbell served as Taehyung’s alarm. She’d prepare his clothes and his shoes while he eats the breakfast that she had bought for him on her way there. Then while he’s preparing, she’d fix his things and ready his car so that they could leave as soon as possible.

Chaeyoung had once teased Dahyun that her job was actually babysitting Taehyung, but Dahyun couldn’t find the urge to complain because oddly, she felt some sort of satisfaction with giving Taehyung the rest that he needs.

Dahyun had been familiarized not only to his abode but also to working with him in his unit.

It was a mid-week holiday that day, and with so many pending files and accounts to review, the two of them decided to work in Taehyung’s condo, ditching the office set up so that they could dress and move more comfortably.

When Dahyun rang the doorbell, Taehyung’s surprised face welcomed her.

“Oh. You’re early,” he commented before scratching his head, “I’m still cooking breakfast.”

“You can cook?” she raised her brows.

“Trying to cook breakfast,” he corrected himself before letting her inside the unit.

“We can always order,” she stated as she walked in.

“It’s the first time I have time to prepare something for you and not the other way around,” Taehyung glanced at her, “I don’t think I’d let this opportunity pass.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” she teased.

Remembering their previous conversation, Taehyung smirked before reply, “I always put a lot of thought _into you._ ”

She was taken aback by his comment, and it took her time to recover and retort, “You should put your thoughts into the breakfast you are making before you ruin it.”

“Oh, right,” Taehyung replied, rushing inside, “Just wait in the dining!”

As told, she occupied a seat at his dining table and made herself comfortable. From her seat, she could see Taehyung. She propped her head on her hand and observed him as he worked in his kitchen. He was wearing loose checkered pants paired with a large white tee and his blonde locks were still unkempt. He was quickly going around his kitchen as if he was in panic.

Somehow, the sight brought a small smile to her lips.

But Taehyung then turned to her, snapping her out of his trance.

“Want some hot choco?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

She averted her gaze away from him, fearing the warm bubbly feeling rising in her chest.

_Racing heartbeat. Must be the caffeine in the tea I drank._

She shook her head in an attempt to dismiss unwarranted thoughts. To keep her distracted, she brought out her laptop so that she could start sorting through the files they need to work on.

She was going through the list of the things they need to finish that day when a voice caught her attention.

“Can I join you for breakfast?”

Dahyun paused and raised her gaze only to find a woman, in a sultry red dress, coming out of Taehyung’s bedroom.

“No,” Taehyung answered without hesitation, “The deal’s you’d just leave in the morning.”

“You wouldn’t even give me coffee?” the woman pouted.

“I don’t have coffee, babe,” Taehyung answered with a smirk.

Dahyun could only let her gaze go back and forth between the two.

The woman then eyed Dahyun’s cup before asking, “How about hot choco?”

But Taehyung was firm, “Nothing for you here.”

“Fine,” the woman sighed before proceeding to the door and wearing her shoes.

Taehyung then walked towards her to see her out but when the woman attempted to touch him to kiss him goodbye, he dodged.

“You liked it when I touched you last night,” she complained.

“I’m always a new man the next morning,” he retorted.

“And that means you’re cold now,” she raised a brow.

“Better than leading you on,” Taehyung uttered before opening the door for her.

“I wish to see you next time,” she exclaimed with a seducing gaze.

“Let’s see,” Taehyung beamed at her.

As soon as he closed the door, the smile on his lips was gone in an instant. When he turned, he found Dahyun who had her mouth gaped open and her gaze full of questions.

“What?” he mumbled.

“What the fuck was that?” she uttered.

“Yeah. That was _a fuck_ ,” Taehyung answered playfully earning him a glare from Dahyun. He defended, “What? It’s a holiday today so I had plenty of time last night.”

“You didn’t even give her food or a drink!” she accused.

“She’s already lucky that I let her sleep on my bed just because we finished late!” he argued.

“She’s already lucky, huh. So that means there are many unfortunate ones,” Dahyun folded her arms over her chest and concluded, “You are sleeping around.”

“Why are you making it sound like a crime?” Taehyung frowned, “Everything’s consensual.”

“What if this gets out?” Dahyun asked back.

“It won’t,” Taehyung replied, “They don’t have any evidence that they slept with me and I don’t give them my real name.”

“They’ve been in your house,” Dahyun argued.

“And I have the condo security block them afterwards,” Taehyung shrugged.

But Dahyun was still appalled by everything, especially the way that Taehyung was acting so nonchalant about it.

“What if they fall in love with you?” Dahyun uttered.

Taehyung released a chuckle at the question, “Have you been drunk in Kdramas?”

“It happens!” Dahyun insisted.

“I have preventive measures,” Taehyung answered.

He licked his lip before stating, “I don’t sleep with the same woman twice.”

“That’s why I also don’t let them have sleepovers or breakfasts,” he added, “From the start until the end, I’m clear with them that it’s all just sex.”

Dahyun replied with a long and deep sigh.

Her action made Taehyung grunt in frustration, “I have my needs, Dahyun.”

“I don’t think I’d consider that as a need,” she scowled.

“Even Maslow lists sex under physiological needs,” Taehyung exclaimed as he started placing the food on the table, “It’s a basic need we must satisfy before achieving self-actualization.”

“Food is a basic need. Not sex,” Dahyun argued, “You need food to survive but you can live without sex.”

“It’s in our biology to crave and be receptive to sexual pleasure. We have hormones for it,” he replied, “Studies would show that sex is both a socially constructed and physiologically based need.”

Dahyun let out a scoff, “Why are you trying to cite research to back up your sexcapades?”

“Because I don’t understand why you’re so worked up against it,” he exclaimed as he took a seat in front of her.

The both of them then exchanged challenging stares at each other.

Until Taehyung tilted his head and wore a smirk on his lips, “That’s unless you haven’t experienced it.”

Dahyun licked her lower lip before averting her gaze. She cleared her throat before saying, “Nevermind. I’m here for work.”

Taehyung released a chuckle but his gaze continued piercing through her as he whispered, “One day, Dahyun, you’d realize that you could have an aching desire that needs to be quenched — a hunger for pleasure that needs to be fulfilled.”

* * *

“Does she still live with you?”

“No, but she’s spending the weekends with me so she’s going to sleep in my house tonight,” Dahyun explained as they spotted Chaeyoung on her way to Dahyun’s apartment.

“Is that her boyfriend?” Taehyung asked, pertaining to a man with whom Chaeyoung was walking with.

“Yeah,” Dahyun nodded and her voice had a tint of fondness as she narrated, “Yoongi’s five years older. Acts cold all the time but melts in front of Chaeyoung.”

“With the way you talk about him, he sounds like a good boyfriend to Chaeng,” Taehyung commented.

“He’s a good man overall,” Dahyun nodded.

“Aren’t you going out to say hi?” Taehyung asked because Dahyun was still sitting in the shotgun of his car.

“I think they’re having a moment,” she replied, “Don’t wanna ruin anything.”

Dahyun was watching with a smile as Chaeyoung clinged to her boyfriend. Chaeyoung talked so happily to the point that Dahyun could still see her dimples even from afar.

But Dahyun’s eyes widened when Chaeyoung’s moment with her boyfriend started getting too intimate.

“Oh, that is indeed a moment,” Taehyung mumbled as both of them witnessed how Chaeyoung and Yoongi shared a passionate kiss outside of the apartment.

Dahyun sulked down at her seat, cheeks reddening at the scene. The two had always been considerate of her presence whenever they were with her so it was the first time that Dahyun was seeing them share their intimacy with each other.

It was too long. Dahyun couldn’t understand how they could still breathe while devouring each other’s mouth. Each second that passed by where she was just awkwardly watching them felt like an eternity.

To her relief, Chaeyoung and Yoongi finally ended the kiss and sealed it with a short peck before flashing each other a toothy grin. They then bid goodbye to each other and Chaeyoung didn’t bother to hide her joy as she happily skipped her way to the apartment.

“They’re gone. I think you could go out — “

Taehyung couldn’t finish his statement because when he glanced at Dahyun, she was as red as a tomato and she was merely blankly gazing in front, as if she had started malfunctioning with what she had seen

Taehyung started laughing hard as he commented, “You should expect them to make out. They’re both adults and you’ve just told me how great they are as a couple.”

“I-I just….” Dahyun stammered but shook her head, “N-Nevermind.”

As Dahyun got her bag and prepared to go out of his car, Taehyung scrutinized her with his gaze.

“What?” Dahyun asked, feeling his gaze on her.

“You haven’t done anything sort of sexual, have you?” he asked.

“I’m not interested in disclosing my sex life,” she retorted before quickly adding, “Bye.”

She quickly got out of his car, refusing to be cornered about a topic she was avoiding, but to her surprise, Taehyung also went out of his car to follow her.

“You don’t have anything to disclose because you don’t have one,” Taehyung exclaimed.

Dahyun faced him and attempted to argue back, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That’s the reason you dodged all my questions about you having a boyfriend,” Taehyung started taking steps closer towards her, “And the reason why you’re so flustered with my sexual activities the day before and that scene earlier.”

“You’re just jumping into conclusions,” Dahyun replied, trying to bluff her way out because she had no arguments at hand.

“But you’re not even denying them,” Taehyung raised his brows, “I bet you’ve never slept with anyone. Never even had a make out session.”

She was glaring at him, yet Taehyung’s mocking did not stop. He crouched down to level his gaze with hers.

“Do you even know how to kiss?” he taunted her.

“Of course,” she replied.

“Too bad, I don’t believe you,” he smirked at her.

She gritted her teeth, “I can prove it.”

As soon as Taehyung started that conversation, there was already rage which was building inside her. She didn’t want to be ridiculed for being inexperienced. She hated the way that he was making a big deal about it and not even letting the conversation drop.

So she tiptoed, pulled him by the collar, and sealed his lips with hers.

_I’ve seen this in shows. It shouldn’t be that complicated._

She merely pressed her lips against his, hoping to end it as soon as it started. However, Taehyung started cupping her face with one hand. Then, she was frozen in surprise as Taehyung started moving his lips against hers.

Taehyung shortly broke the kiss and let out a small chuckle, “You can do better than that.”

“F-Fine,” she replied, bowing her head down as she refused to meet his gaze, “I-I don’t know how to kiss.”

Taehyung lifted her face and softly brushed his thumb against her cheek, “I can teach you how.”

He leaned in, tentatively placing soft kisses against her lips, as if gauging Dahyun’s reaction.

Taehyung paused to look at any sign of protest, but Dahyun already had her eyes closed, too drunk at the moment.

“Just follow me,” Taehyung whispered before fully capturing her lips again, tilting her face in an angle that would allow him to kiss her more.

_“Don’t get involved with him.”_

As the reminder echoed in her head, Dahyun raised her hands towards his chest, ready to push him away.

But Taehyung softly nibbled on her lower lip, causing her to gasp in satisfaction. The male took this as an opportunity to let his tongue explore her mouth. She whimpered at the feeling of Taehyung’s tongue gliding along hers, his mouth devouring her own.

At the back of her mind, there were so many reasons to label the situation wrong, but everything just felt so right.

So her hands that were supposed to push him away found their way at the back of Taehyung’s neck. She pulled him even closer as she started responding to his blissful kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters from here onwards would be Rated M/E for sexual content. You can skip those parts or just idk read another story huhu

He placed feathery kisses against her jaw but as his lips travelled downwards to her neck, he was already lightly biting her, only to soothe every bite by sucking on her skin. 

Dahyun had her eyes closed, mouth slightly parted as she released short breaths. 

But as Taehyung sucked on a particular spot in her neck, there was surging pleasure between her legs, causing her to elicit a moan.

Taehyung paused on bruising her neck, his mouth travelling to her ears as he whispered, “Do you want more?”

Dahyun only moaned back, nails digging at Taehyung’s back.

Taehyung then nibbled on her ear as he told her, “Tell me what you want.”

“Please…” Dahyun whispered, “Please fuck me.”

She fluttered her eyes open, and Taehyung’s face welcomed her. He was looking at her closely and Dahyun could not take her eyes off his gaze.

His orbs were full of lust and she found herself getting lost in them — trapped in an endless maze of desire.

“Dahyun,” he groaned, face being painted with pleasure.

She released a cry at the feeling of being filled, and she couldn’t stop herself from moaning with every thrust he made.

“Dahyun,” he kept calling her name.

She could only answer with the sinful sounds escaping her lips.

“Dahyun….”

“Dahyun!”

She sat up, catching her breath, as she felt beads of sweat on her forehead. 

“Are you okay?”

Dahyun turned to Chaeyoung who was sleeping at the other side of her bed.

The girl looked sleepy yet concerned as she told Dahyun, “You were groaning in your sleep.”

_Groaning. Ha._

“Did you have a nightmare?” Chaeyoung asked her.

Dahyun suddenly had flashbacks of her dream. Being abruptly woken up, she couldn’t remember all details, yet she was so sure that she did not feel it was a nightmare.

“I’m fine,” she assured her friend with a small smile, “You can go back to sleep. I’ll just get myself some water.”

“Mmkay,” Chaeyoung hummed and closed her eyes.

Dahyun fixed the blanket over Chaeyoung before getting up to go to her kitchen.

The airconditioning in her room was okay yet her dream made her wet — in sweat, and in something she wouldn’t dare admit to herself.

She gulped down a glass of water, oddly feeling tired, as if she actually engaged in the activities her mind had created.

But as she became more aware of how inappropriate her dream was, she collapsed on the floor and rested her back on the wall.

She buried her face in her hands as she groaned in frustration.

_What happened to not being involved with him?_

She started to then lightly bump her head on the wall behind her.

_Great job, Kim Dahyun._

_You messaged him and insisted on forgetting about the kiss._

_Yet you’re the one who kept dreaming of something more._

She shut her eyes tight as she uttered, “I’m so doomed.”

* * *

Thankfully, Dahyun had the weekends to calm down, or at least tone down, her thoughts of Taehyung. Spending time with Chaeyoung had been a great distraction as well. 

When Monday came, it took all her courage to go to Taehyung’s condo to prepare. She was fidgety yet tense the whole time she was on her way to his house. But when Taehyung answered the door for her just like how he would drowsily do every time, she understood that Taehyung was really comfortable in acting like the kiss never happened.

Somehow the way Taehyung treated her like he would do on any other other day calmed her nerves down and she found it easier to act along too — pretend that last Friday night wasn’t as clear as day at the back of her head.

Taehyung’s packed schedule had also helped her in keeping her thoughts _clean_. She kept herself occupied with all the tasks but then she ended up finishing them early until the only thing left to do was to accompany Taehyung in one of his meetings with the sales department.

She went to the conference room located on the same floor as her office and settled with all her documents needed and her laptop. As she finally had some sort of break from her voluminous work and some time to take in her surroundings, she saw an unfamiliar male.

It was a young male with blonde hair gorgeously swept back, wearing a suit and tie. He was being accompanied by Yoona as to what seemed like a tour in the office. He wasn’t strikingly tall nor built, but he looked so attractive. There are only a number of people who had attracted her enough to make her stare, and the male was one of them.

Her daze was only halted when the chair beside her screeched, commanding her attention.

“Wow, you didn’t even notice me,” Taehyung uttered before sitting.

“Oh. You’re here,” Dahyun acknowledged, shifting in her seat.

“Yeah. I finished all the things in my to-do list and I just have this,” he replied.

“Meeting’s still thirty minutes away,” she stated, “You could just rest in your office.”

“I’ve been in my office for the whole day. I need a change of environment,” he replied.

“The sales department would find it awkward if you’re here before them,” she commented.

“Awkward for them or awkward for you?” Taehyung challenged, raising a brow at her.

Dahyun stiffened, for it was the first time that Taehyung had been close to opening a topic she had been trying to hide away from.

“I’m fine,” she gave a tight smile, “Well, if you really wanna stay here, suit yourself.’

She turned her body away from him, refusing to look at the dangerous smirk playing on his lips. Dahyun let her eyes roam around back to the male that had piqued her interest a while ago.

Now, he was on the desk with Yoona while the latter seemed to be giving him some instructions.

“Do you think he’ll be the next administrative head?” Dahyun tried to strike a conversation to create some sort of normalcy.

“I don’t think so,” Taehyung replied.

She creased her forehead and said, “But Miss Yoona seems to be training him. The only explanation to that is that she found her successor to her position.”

“Well, he wouldn’t be the administrative head unless I say so,” Taehyung stated, “The administrative head is a confidential employee like you. He’s enjoying the position based on my trust and confidence so I get a say on his employment.”

“So _he is_ the new administrative head,” Dahyun concluded.

“No. He’s not,” Taehyung firmly replied, “At least, not anymore.”

“What?!” Dahyun blurted, “He barely even started. You don’t even have a basis to fire him.”

“I do have a basis,” Taehyung argued, “You’ve been staring at him.”

Dahyun crossed her arms over her chest, “And how did that become a valid basis?”

“Can’t have my secretary distracted all the time,” Taehyung said, pressing his cheek on his palm.

“I’m not distracted,” Dahyun managed to argue despite the way her throat was constricting because of Taehyung’s stare at her.

“Sure you are,” Taehyung retorted, “Your attention is on him instead of me.”

“It’s not my fault that there’s nothing in you that interests me right now,” Dahyun spat.

His lips only slightly moved to form a smirk as he said, “Really? Nothing at all?”

His eyes travelled to every feature of her face until it stopped on her lips. She found herself doing just the same. They were still a decent distance apart yet Dahyun was so conscious of everything about Taehyung at that moment, especially the way his adams apple bobbed when he saw her bite her lip.

The air in the conference room was comfortable a while ago as Dahyun had made sure that the temperature was just set right but now the air felt too thick and hot, and Dahyun could blame nothing but the burning gaze that Taehyung was giving her.

But then the door of the conference room opened, disrupting the way they were staring at each other.

“Hi.”

Dahyun looked up to find the owner of the voice, and found a charming smile.

“Hey,” she replied, voice too enthusiastic to Taehyung’s liking.

“I’m Park Jimin,” he said, extending his hand and Dahyun took it to introduce herself as well.

Taehyung glared at the two’s smiles for each other and the way their hands were comfortably clasped together.

“Okay. That’s it,” Taehyung exclaimed before pointing at Jimin, “You’re fired.”

Dahyun widened her eyes, mouth gaped as she alternated her gaze between the two. She was about to protest but Jimin spoke.

“Fuck you too, Taehyung,” he said pointing back at Taehyung.

There was more confusion brought to Dahyun’s countenance but Yoona had also entered the conference room, just in time to hear Jimin’s curse.

“Uhhhh,” Jimin scratched the back of his nape, “Yeah. The rule on honorifics.”

He coughed slightly before saying, “Let me rephrase that. Fuck you, Sir Taehyung.”

Taehyung exaggeratedly gasped before beaming at Yoona and exclaiming, “That’s a valid reason to fire him, right?!”

Yoona groaned and said, “No one’s going to get fired today.”

“Ha,” Jimin victoriously exclaimed, proudly crossing his arms over his chest.

“How about tomorrow, then?” Taehyung asked Yoona.

But the female sighed in exasperation as she said, “I know you too met way back in high school but please stop acting like high schoolers when you are in the office. You’re making me older!”

That was enough to make the two males sulk in their spots and Dahyun beamed knowingly, finally understanding the familiarity between the two.

“Okay but can we at least insert a provision in his contract?” Taehyung said, “One that prohibits office romance?”

“Excuse me,” Jimin uttered, “I need to get paid triple if I have to date you! Hell, pay me double for making me think of the horror of it!”

Dahyun chuckled at Taehyung’s offended look and Jimin’s victorious smirk. She grinned as well as she was certain that Jimin’s presence would make her office life brighter.

* * *

It turned out that prohibition of office romance for Jimin was entirely unnecessary because he was very much in love with his boyfriend, Lee Taemin. Dahyun had also met Taemin and together with Jimin, the two were one of the most beautiful couples she had ever seen. 

Dahyun learned that Jimin came from an affluent family. He finished a course in Business Management, mainly to appease his parents’ wishes but after years of working in their own company, he firmly made a decision that managing their business was not for him. Thankfully, he had other siblings who were more willing to do the job.

But his knowledge had made him a pro in stock market trading and his passive income in diversified investments was enough to keep his luxurious life. 

He expected his parents to scold him for taking the role of Taehyung’s administrative head after making a drama on how he doesn’t want anything “business-related”, but they were actually glad that he was “tightening” his connection with the son of one of the most influential families in Korea. It was not Jimin’s lower position but Taehyung’s new title as CEO which they saw as glitter and gold. His parents were hopeful that Jimin would learn from Taehyung and working for him might renew his interest in handling their business again.

Jimin just let them believe what they wanted to believe as long as it would bring him peace. Like Yoona, he just actually wanted to help Taehyung. But unlike Yoona who was bent on resigning soon, Jimin was willing to wait until the time that Taehyung is already comfortable to work with someone else; he was willing to wait until the time that Taehyung’s already confident in managing the business well without constant need of watching his back.

Overall, Jimin’s presence in the office was a breath of fresh air for Dahyun. He was around her age and Jimin’s so easy to get along with so she was more than happy to make a friend. She would consider Yoona as her friend too, but the older is uptight when it comes to work while Jimin’s bubbly attitude is always unfiltered when it comes to Dahyun. He even became her rant buddy and they would have small and secret sessions of laughing at Taehyung’s childish quirks or the administrative staff’s robotic tendencies.

And well, her relationship with Taehyung is a whole different story. 

They managed to avoid talking about the kiss, but Dahyun knew that there was always an unspeakable tension between them. However, the upcoming board of directors meeting kept them busy enough. Taehyung had to present the quarterly report as the CEO, and it would be his first time doing it. So the four of them — Taehyung, Dahyun, Jimin and Yoona — had to make sure that everything was neat up to the very last detail.

Perhaps it was also the way she avoided being alone for a long time with him, or the way she busied herself with the ton of tasks she had to do, that Taehyung’s well-being slipped her mind.

“The conference room’s all been set up in case you already want to go there — “ Dahyun paused when she noticed that Taehyung could not calm down.

It was the day of the board meeting and Taehyung was pacing around his office, looking paler than ever.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, but her question seemed rhetorical considering that the male’s condition was clearly far from being okay.

Taehyung looked at her and there was panic in his eyes as he said, “I think I’m going to mess up.”

Taehyung already had a hard time pretending to be alright in front of most of the employees, but they couldn’t see through the authoritative facade that he was always wearing. Further, his title as a CEO was enough for them to lower their gazes even before they could catch a glimpse of him faltering.

But the board of directors was different. They were, technically, Taehyung’s boss. 

He was the highest corporate officer, but still, they were the ones who owned the company and they had the power to vote him out whenever. His family still owned the majority of the business; his father owned forty percent of the company, Taehyung owned twenty, while the rest of the forty percent was held by different persons. 

But having his father as the biggest stockholder was not a guarantee. Sure, it gave him the position for there was no way Kim Dong-Gun would hand over the empire he built to someone else. Yet Dong-Gun was Taehyung’s harshest critic. He would not defend him if he made a mistake. He would even leave him rotting alone for any sign of incompetence. 

Taehyung might be his son, but even when it comes to Taehyung, and especially when it comes to Taehyung, Dong-Gun wouldn’t tolerate anything less than perfection.

And that thought was enough to make Taehyung sick to his stomach.

“First, sit down then I’ll get you water,” Dahyun said before walking to Taehyung and guiding him to sit at his sofa. She hurriedly got him a glass of water but when she tried to give it to him, Taehyung shook his head.

“I can’t,” he frowned before unclasping his hands and showing her how terribly they were shaking.

He tried to clench and unclench his hands, in an attempt to calm his tremors, but to no avail.

“I’m going to mess up,” he repeated, voice already breaking.

Taehyung looked like a lost child in Dahyun’s eyes and the sight brought her back to the day of their Regionals in college.

* * *

“I’m going to mess up,” he told her with a shaking gaze that peered through his fringe.

She managed to sit him down for he was pacing uncomfortably and when she asked what was the matter, the first thing he said was the last thing that Dahyun would want to happen.

“You’re going to be fine. We’ve reviewed our project over and over again, practiced our lines efficiently and prepared answers for every possible question that the panel could come up,” Dahyun tried to assure him as she stood before him but the boy merely shook his head.

“I don’t know. I might just black out or forget something along the way,” he whispered.

“Okay then so here’s all the papers. Try to review them to remove your jitters,” Dahyun said as she handed them their notes.

But Taehyung shook his head, before taking his hands out of the pockets of his pants.

Dahyun was taken aback when she saw how he was shaking terribly. 

Taehyung had always been confident, always been perfect. The boy before her looked like an entirely different person. Except that he isn’t. He’s still the same Taehyung. The situation had reminded Dahyun that despite how _godly_ Taehyung looked or carried himself, he was still as human as any of them. He also had his weak moments.

“I’m sorry, I look pathetic,” Taehyung lowered his head, hiding his hands again.

Dahyun was taken out of her trance. She might have been staring too long at his shaking hands for the male to feel like she was judging him.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Dahyun exclaimed.

“My hands are shaking, Dahyun,” he uttered, “That would not count as okay.”

But then Dahyun stepped closer, grasping his wrists so that she could take his hands out of his pockets again. 

“They are not shaking,” she said.

“They obviously are — “ 

His words were cut off when Dahyun took his large hands in her tiny ones, holding them tight so that he would stop trembling.

“They’re not shaking anymore,” Dahyun whispered, “See?”

He was expecting her to scold him, give him a lecture on how he was about to ruin the competition that mattered to her the most, but then she looked at him with a soft gaze and gave him an assuring smile.

Taehyung released a breath, closing his eyes, as he squeezed back Dahyun’s hands. 

Dahyun soothingly brushed her thumb against the back of his hand, and slowly, she felt Taehyung relaxing in her hold, the tension in his body slowly dissipating.

“You’d do great, Taehyung. And if you don’t, that’s okay,” she told him, “So what if you do mess up today? I’ll fix it.”

Taehyung looked at her.

“And if I mess up, you fix it,” she continued, “That’s why we’re partners.”

The corner of Taehyung’s lips finally lifted a little.

“You can relax your shoulders, Taehyung. You don’t have to carry all the burden. That’s what I’m here for,” she told him with nothing but sincerity in her eyes, “We’d conquer this together.”

Taehyung nodded and repeated, “Together.”

* * *

Dahyun released a breath, tucking the memory back in her brain. She debated with herself, yet that was the only way she knew how to calm him down. So she took a seat beside Taehyung and slowly unclasped his hands. She took his right hand and placed it on her lap.

She snorted as she tried to joke around, “I once asked Miss Yoona if giving a massage is part of my job.”

She then laid out his palm and ran her fingers across his hand, slightly applying pressure here and there. Then, she mumbled, “I guess it is.”

The way she moved hi palm and fingers seemed to soothe his muscles as Taehyung started to relax. 

“You’d do great, Taehyung,” she told him as she placed her hand on top of his, just rubbing their palms together.

“If you don’t, that’s okay,” she continued, “That’s part of being human. We all mess up at one point. Having a weak moment doesn’t invalidate all the great things you’ve done and doesn’t discredit all the hard work you’ve made.”

She sighed before saying, “If you do mess up, then we’ll just fix it after. This board meeting or the repercussions after this meeting, we can conquer them together.”

“Together,” Taehyung repeated, and slowly Dahyun found her hand being engulfed in his as Taehyung intertwined their fingers together.

She flinched in surprise, her instant reaction was to take her hand away but Taehyung’s hold of her was firm. 

Then, she found herself slowly giving in, relaxing in his hold, letting him entangle their hands together. 

Because honestly, this was what she had been _silently_ craving for a long time — to be held again by Taehyung.

 _I’m so doomed_ — she repeated in her head because just one touch from Taehyung and her mind was going haywire yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is unnecessarily long again because I introduced Jimin! But hey I crushed your hope for romantic dahmin even before it could blossom haha. Am also moving the updates to weekends!


End file.
